No one really talks about it, but sexually transmissible infections (STIs) are really common among young people in Australia. Anyone who is sexually active runs the risk of getting an STI – that’s just reality.
The good news is, if you use a condom when you have sex you can massively reduce the risk of an STI. Make sure you chat to your doctor about any concerns or symptoms you might be experiencing. Most STIs can be tested for and most STIs can be treated with no dramas whatsoever.
Safe sex is the best way of protecting yourself and partner/s from STIs, including HIV.
There are very good reasons why sexually active people need to practise safe sex including the following.
- Condoms stop HIV transmission.
- You can’t judge whether someone has an STI based on how they look, dress, behave, who they have slept with, etc. Anyone can get HIV or another STI.
- Practising safe sex provides you with peace of mind.
- Thinking ‘HIV won’t happen to me’ provides no protection.
- Some STIs are quite common and using condoms will reduce the risk of infection.
- People with HIV or STIs don’t always know that they are infected.
- Safe sex protects you from unintended pregnancies.
- HIV can affect anyone. While in Australia most people with HIV are gay men and men who have sex with men, heterosexuals still get HIV.
- Worldwide HIV overwhelmingly affects heterosexuals, including amongst our closest neighbours in Asia.
