Nothing romantic about STIs: HSE

CHAMPAGNE and candlelight are all very well but condoms are the way to a lover’s heart.

As singles and couples alike prepare to make the most of the ambience of Valentine’s Day, health chiefs are warning that the three little words that matter most after the event could be “sexually transmitted infection (STI)”.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) issued a reminder of research it published late last year which showed that when it comes to sex, many Irish people think too much about romance while leaving the health implications to chance.

Results of the Study of Sexual Health and Relationships showed that eight out of 10 people who did not use a condom during their last sexual encounter were not aware of the risks of contracting an STI.

Despite all the publicity about HIV/Aids and other sex-related illnesses, the vast majority said they did not bother with a condom because they trusted their partner not to have an STI. A smaller percentage simply did not believe that they could pick up an infection.

“Alarmingly, 14% of people having sex with someone they just met claimed they could trust that they didn’t have an STI,” said Brian Neeson, health promotion manager with the HSE. A further 27% who chanced sex without a condom knew their partner but were not in a steady or exclusive relationship with the person.

Both men and women are at risk of contracting STIs and may carry, and pass on, an infection without any obvious signs which can give them and their partners a false sense of security. Chlamydia, a growing problem, accounts for a third of all STIs reported in Ireland yet most infected people display no symptoms.

“If left untreated, complications from chlamydia, for example, can include pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and infertility,” said Catherine Murphy, a public health specialist with the HSE. “There is nothing romantic about an STI.”

Some sexually transmitted infections, such as ano-genital warts and urethritis, have waned in the last few years but others, like syphilis and gonorrhoea, are on the increase.

While the HSE cannot do much about the calibre of your Valentine lover, they do recommend a bit of quality control on the condoms you bring to the party. They say it is important to use a quality condom with a British Standards Institution (BSI) Kitemark and, if it has been a while since your last Valentine’s Day, not to use a poorly stored condom that might have been damaged by heat, light or damp.