This year will see the number of recorded STIs break new records, a sexual health specialist has predicted.
188 cases of gonorrhoea in the Mid West, while in 2023 there have already been 274 cases.Advertisement, consultant Dr Aisling Loy said there are “lots of reasons” behind the trend - one of which might be higher levels of screening.
“There is now a rolled out programme nationally where people who maybe haven’t been able to access STI testing before now can and it’s free with SH24 programme,” she said. “Maybe there weren’t so many services in the Mid West and now there’s people sitting at home going, ‘Goodness, I really would like to get a screening’ and they’re now testing.”Anecdotally, Dr Loy feels people have more sexual partners than in previous years and the widespread availability of PrEP means there is less fear of catching HIV in the LGBT community -“It’s not just in the groups that would be at risk of HIV,” Dr Loy said.
“Be aware that there are risks from oral transmission; people think they’re being safe if they’re only having unprotected oral sex but you can get chlamydia and gonorrhoea in these areas as well. “Use condoms and reduce your number of partners - that will always help as well - and just be aware of the symptoms; things like having a little bit of a pain when you’re urinating or some abnormal discharge or bleeding, these are symptoms and get yourself tested.”
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