FPA: Safe sex message vital
Thursday, 17 Jul 2008 10:29
The safer sex message and importance of wearing condoms must be impressed on people, the FPA (Family Planning Association) has said.
Its comments follow the latest sexually transmitted infection (STI) figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA), which revealed a six per cent increase in the total number of new STIs diagnosed in 2007 compared to 2006.
The statistics showed a worrying level of diagnoses in the 16 to 24 age group.
FPA chief executive Julie Bentley said education, information, accessible services and widespread STI testing are "imperative" to reduce STIs in this age group as well as the population as a whole.
"We need to continue offering STI testing in many different places and cast a wide net to capture as many different people as possible," she added.
"STIs don't always show symptoms so the more people coming forward for screening the better. This will help prevent those people who are unknowingly transmitting an STI to a partner."
Ms Bentley said people should be made more aware that condoms are given out free by contraceptive clinics and said information about STIs should be a compulsory part of sex and relationships education (SRE).
"Comprehensive SRE taught to each successive generation instils knowledge as people become sexually active and gives them confidence to talk to their children about good sexual health if they become parents later on," she explained.