Are Free Adult Websites Really a Risk for Malware?

I've found myself visiting free adult websites that seem to have a ton of pop-up ads. Sometimes, I accidentally click on something and get redirected to another site before I can close it. I recently read about malware risks, specifically "drive-by downloads," and I'm worried about the dangers of these sites. Are modern web browsers and Windows Defender effective enough to protect against potential malware when visiting such sites? If this isn't the right place to ask this question, please guide me to a better forum. Thanks!