25 Things you probably didn’t know about STIs

There are 25 different infections that can be passed on through sexual contact and unfortunately the number of people diagnosed with STIs have been on the increase. This has lead to widespread media attention and awareness campaigns, but inpite of a much broader understanding of STIs, there are still facts about these infections that many of us don't know and probably should. This post looks at 25 little known facts about STIs.

Budget Cuts - Bad News for Sexual Health

Sexually transmitted infections have been on the increase for the more than a decade now, even STIs that were relatively under control in the UK, such as syphilis and HIV has seen a rise in numbers. One would think that this would warrant an increase in spending on these vital sexual health services, but NHS efficiency savings mean that less money is being funnelled where it’s quite clearly needed.

Treatment for STIs started the sexual revolution

The sexual revolution or liberation during the 1960s to 1980s has shaped the way we see sex today. It challenged traditional sexual behaviour in western society, which used to stipulate that sex should only happen within monogamous, heterosexual relationships. There has been many theories as to why there was such a drastic change in sexual behaviour. The most commonly accepted explanation was that this was the time during which oral contraceptive pill became...

Post-party season STI check

It’s the start of January and for many of us this signals the end of a long December party season. January is also a time of year where statistics show an increase in the number of people going for STI tests. This increase in numbers is largely believed to the result of a more relaxed approach towards sexual health during the winter party season, often fuelled by alcohol use and a more festive spirit.

Croydon Boomers to get Sex Education

Slowly but surely we are being made aware of the fact that sex after 60 actually exists, from new films like Hope Springs to reports that over the last few years STDs have increased significantly in people over he age of 60. This is why Croydon Borough Council wants to include the over-60s in their new sexual health strategy.

The scary possibility of gonorrhoea resistance

News stories about gonorrhoea becoming ‘untreatable’ have been doing the rounds and it’s even been featured in our blog, but after recent CDC reports from the US has caused a resurgence in the story, it made me wonder whether they aren’t scaring people unnecessarily?

Are we too reliant on the media to get our STI message across?

According to shock news articles published yesterday, gonorrhoea cases in young people are on the increase. Experts are finding reason to worry as gonorrhoea is becoming increasingly difficult to treat due to the bacteria’s resistance to traditional treatments antibiotics such as Azithromycin and Cefixime. Budget cuts are being blamed by charities, but why is there the need for widespread media campaigns to begin with?

Why do young people think it's OK not to use a condom?

Sexually transmitted infections are on the increase in young people and anything is to blame, including Facebook. By the looks of it, nobody knows where to start dealing with the problem; however, it seems to be a socio-economic as well as social issue, more then anything else. This post will explore the why we need more campaigns that promote safe sex and condom use.

Is this stigmatisation of genital herpes?

The Sun recently published an article telling the story of, Marquita Church, a young woman with genital herpes who chose to have unprotected sex with eight partners even though she was aware of her status. Although I don’t quite know why this is newsworthy, I can see why it was published - it’s scandalous. It’s also completely ridiculous and once again, portrays a skewed view of genital herpes in the media.

Are robots really the future of sex tourism?

People have all kinds of different sexual preferences and the sex industry tends to cater to them all, including sex with robots. Although it might sound like something from a sci-fi novel, but men actually do pay, up to 10000 Euros to have sex with a life like sex bot in Amsterdam. This may seem like a novelty, but some experts believe that this may be the future of sex tourism, based on the fact that it would make STIs less likely to spread.