Thanks to the internet, today’s younger generation may be subject to more sexual imagery and access to sexual content than ever before, but a new survey shows that they have significant gaps in their sexual health knowledge and awareness, with 40 percent of young Brits surveyed saying that it is possible to contract HIV simply by kissing.
The study was carried out by Your:MD, and revealed that 39 percent of those between 18-25 in the UK thought it was possible to catch HIV by kissing someone with the virus. The NHS advises that it cannot be transmitted through saliva, urine or sweat, but only bodily fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal and anal fluids and breast milk. It can also be shared through collective needle usage or during birth.
Your:MD surveyed 4,000 youngsters about their sexual knowledge. Just under 50 percent of respondents thought it was easy to break a condom. Many admitted that they didn’t know the signs of an STI. Most could not name all of the types of STI that they were at risk from when having unprotected sex with an untested partner, despite STIs such as chlamydia being extremely common amongst this age group. The results are likely to reignite a call for better sexual health education in schools as part of the national curriculum, in order to better prepare young people to enjoy their future health and to make sensible decisions about their sex lives.
The importance of regular check-ups
For young people who are sexually active, it’s always sensible to have a regular sexual health check-up, especially if you are about to sleep with a new partner – https://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/972.aspx?CategoryID=68&SubCategoryID=153.
You can access confidential and top quality STI testing in Bexley via a variety of service providers, from the NHS through to private clinics. Find out more from a company like https://www.checkurself.org.uk/plus/.
STIs are soaring
In 2016, a shocking 420,000 cases of STIs were recorded in the UK, with a 12 percent rise in syphilis. Gonorrhoea is a particular problem in urban areas such as London, which now has the highest levels of STI of any UK city. But with careful use of condoms and regular testing, STIs can be prevented and treated when they do occur, before longer-term issues such as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease result from a lack of timely diagnosis and antibiotics.