The Scoop does Sex Ed: Sexual Health Week
Maria Hassan
Forget Valentines Day, it’s Sexual Health Week.
Regardless of your relationship status, this is the time to take ownership of your sexual health.
Latest figures from the Public Health Agency show that Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are on the rise in Northern Ireland.
STIs are bacterial or viral infections that are spread through unprotected sexual contact.
With 3,718 new cases reported in 2022, diagnoses are not uncommon.
The good news is that testing has never before been more available or accessible.
If you are sexually active, you should be tested regularly.
Even if you are in a monogamous relationship. Even if you are using protection. Even if you have no symptoms.
Testing is different depending on the type of genitals you have and what STI you are being tested for.
You may be asked to take a urine test, provide a blood sample, or have a vaginal/ rectal swab.
Unfortunately, there is still an unhelpful societal stigma attached to STIs. In reality, most can be easily treated with antibiotics.
However, it is important to catch them early to avoid transmission and minimise the potential risk of long-term health complications.
Prevention is always better than the cure. The best way to protect against STIs is to use a barrier method of contraception anytime you are touching someone else’s genitals.
We all know condoms prevent pregnancy. Other barrier methods include dental dams and finger cots.
Outside of ‘P in V’, STIs can still spread from fingering, oral sex, and sharing toys.
Figure out what works best for you, your partner, and the type of sex you are having.
Despite the age-old advice to limit your sexual partners, casual sex with multiple people is fine as long as it is safe and consensual.
Openly discussing our sexual health is not something we are taught to do, but it is an important part of caring for ourselves and for others.
If you cannot have this crucial conversation with a sexual partner, consider if it is the right person or the right time to have sex.
So, if you are hooking up this week, talk about STIs, contraception, and consent before you get down to business.
After all, what could be more romantic than keeping you and your sexual partner(s) safe?
STI testing, treatment, and condoms are available for students in Belfast at:
Queen’s University Belfast Students’ Union
Ulster University
Maria Hassan is a Sex Education Facilitator with Common Youth and a journalism master’s student at Ulster University.