FROM THE GP’S SURGERY
FLOWERS and candlelit dinners have come to symbolise Valentine’s Day. However, it is the potential health implications of love being in the air that can concern doctors and it’s worth thinking about the risks of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Technology has transformed the way that people, particularly young people, learn about sexual relationships and it poses new challenges that healthcare professionals face in encouraging a healthy and responsible attitude towards sex.
Given easy online access to a vast array of explicit material, today’s young people probably feel that they know more about sex than any other generation. However, there is evidence that they may not be taking the precautions that they should.
According to sexual health charity FPA (Family Planning Association), young people are more likely to be diagnosed with a STI than older age groups.
In 2015, among heterosexuals diagnosed, 15 to 24-year-olds accounted for 62% of those with chlamydia, 52% with gonorrhoea, 51% with genital warts, and 41% with genital herpes. There were also 5,288 new diagnoses of syphilis in 2015, a 19.9% increase from 4,412 in 2014.
While sex education isn’t compulsory at school, the majority of young people do receive some form of sex education. It’s not an easy topic for parents and their children but it’s a conversation worth having.
You may think that this should only be discussed with teenagers who you know are sexually active, but preparing children as they start to become sexually aware can help to reinforce safe sex messages.
Teaching children about all aspects of love, dating and sex is important – don’t just talk about the mechanics. Teach them that they are in control, that it is their body and they should never do anything they don’t feel happy with or don’t want to.
Explain that unprotected sex can lead to STIs and unwanted pregnancy.
To protect against both, the only reliable method (other than abstinence!) is barrier contraception – female and male condoms.
Emergency contraception is available either as a tabler or a coil (a device that sits in the woman’s uterus) and, depending on the type, can be used up to five days after unprotected sex. But emergency contraception doesn’t protect against STIs.
Remember that STIs can affect people of any age, too. There are increasing concerns about the risks that many older people are taking, with STIs among people aged 50-70 increasing dramatically in the last decade.
Whatever your age, it is important to be tested for STIs if you feel that there is risk of infection after unprotected sex.
GPs, sexual health clinics and some online pharmacies offer this service.
Dr Alexandra Phelan is a working NHS GP and Online Doctor with Pharmacy2U. Visit pharmacy2u.co.uk for information.