60% unaware of partners' STI status

Sixty percent of people who have unprotected sex with a long-standing partner do not know whether they have been tested for sexually transmitted infections, according to new research from the Royal College of Surgeons.

This survey, which interviewed heterosexual people aged between 18 and 29, found that 60% of people in steady relationships who do not use a condom do not know whether their partner has been tested for STIs.

Researcher Grainne Cousins said that this is particularly worrying in the light of an increase in what she called "serial monogamy".

She said people in these relationships are often afraid to bring up questions about their partners' STI status.