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THESE DAYS SEX education in most schools will cover aspects of contraception, using protection and how to avoid pregnancy. And that’s if you’re lucky. But realistically, sex ed in Ireland isn’t much more than an advanced ‘birds and the bees’ talk.
I’m 23 and don’t think I ever heard the word condoms mentioned by a teacher in secondary school. SPHE didn’t come into schools until I was in second year so I missed that vital hour a week of knowledge. Most of my sex ed has come from friends and the internet. I think what happens with a lot of young people, is you pretend you know more than you do until you get the chance to Google it. I know I did.
Lack of education
And while I think people are more aware of STIs in Ireland, they’re still not doing a whole lot about them. This can be for a number of reasons; lack of education in school, in the home and the age-old stigma around talking about getting tested for STIs.
I’ve only recently learned how to spell gonorrhoea and you can be sure the topic has never come up in conversation with my friends, yet there have been over 1100 cases of it in Ireland since January. A lot of young people think that if they’re on the pill or some form of contraception that they’re sorted.
So much of what we hear about sex in school is how to avoid getting pregnant and less around STIs. But, while sexual education in Ireland needs to change so do people’s attitudes.
Protection
A survey published by the HSE last year found that almost a quarter of Irish adults believe women are ‘easy’ if they carry condoms and if this mentality is still so prevalent in Ireland, it’s no wonder so many STIs are on the rise.
For years I was of the impression that I’d know if I had an STI, but so many STIs are symptomless, that you’d never know if you or your partner have an STI unless you have been recently tested. Another issue is that most people are unaware that STIs can be also be transmitted through oral sex.
Most people who do get tested for STIs do so because they have symptoms. An itch, a rash, warts, whatever it may be, but the thing people don’t realise is that the majority of STIs don’t have symptoms for quite some time. STI tests are painless and confidential so there’s no excuse really, especially considering STIs like gonorrhoea, untreated, can have serious and permanent health problems in men and women, such as infertility.
Cost
One reason that puts some people off getting tested is the cost. If you go to your private doctor, it can be anything over €100 depending on what you’re getting tested for. A lot of people don’t realise that it’s free to get tested in a lot of public hospitals and clinics.
And there’s the plain and simple reason also of ignorance being bliss. People don’t want to know so they can avoid having an awkward conversation with your partner or having to get back in contact with that one night stand. It can be embarrassing but there needs to be more openness around having a chat with a partner about getting tested, especially if you do have an STI, because if you don’t tell them, they could end up re-infecting you if they have it too.
Some people may argue that the simple fact we can see what STIs have been reported in the last year show people are getting tested but last year a survey of students in Ireland found that three out of four students have had unprotected sex, while 70 per cent of students surveyed said they had never been tested for sexually transmitted infections.
This needs to change.
This week Dublin Aids Alliance, USI, SpunOut.ie, Crisis Pregnancy Programme and HSE Health Promotion are running a campaign to get gonorrhea trending and raise awareness around getting tested for sexually transmitted infections. But unfortunately it’s not just gonorrhoea; chlamydia, herpes, HIV and syphilis are all on the increase in Ireland. So it’s vital to get tested.
Check out SpunOut.ie/sex to find out where you can get tested for free as well as a list of places where you can get free condoms.
Tricia Purcell is 23 and a graduate of the University of Limerick. She currently works for youth website, SpunOut.ie.
We’re interested in your ideas and opinions – do you have a story you would like to see featured in Opinion & Insight? Email opinions@thejournal.ie
” three out of four students have had unprotected sex” seriously? Come on it’s not hard (anymore) to access condoms take some responsibility.
Well, ya do hear that almost all these STIs can be easily treated and unprotected sex feels so much better than wearing a condom. So it’s no wonder why people take a chance.
Also, some people (probably not loads of students) might be having unprotected sex to get pregnant.
It depends what they mean by unprotected – a lot of people in monogamous relationships would only use hormonal birth control, which isn’t overly helpful if one partner has already been infected or if your partner cheats.
HIV, Herpes. Hepatitis and HPV are STI which are causes by Virus, they never go away.
You can be treated for an out break but as soon as you get run down, they flare up again and
you are always at risk at passing them on to partners.
Always practice safer sex, unless you and your partner have been tested.
HBV – Hepatitis B – Sharrow in most cases you no longer pass it on when your own body creates an immunity to it. That can takes up to a year though if memory serves me right. And you should never give blood either if you’ve contracted it at any point I believe.
Don’t be stilly, wrap the willie!
Although I was mostly in a relationship growing up in Ireland, I did have quite a few sexual partners over the years before and after it. Can honestly say I never got tested. I think mostly due to never really hearing of anyone getting tested, none of “the lads” ever brought it up and I don’t think it’s a common practice amongst the youth of today.
Since moving to Australia, sexual health is much more spoken about and much more advertised and openly dealt with. I’m here nearly 3 years and have had regular check ups. Their are some free sex check clinics, and also your GP can do them, however they are quite expensive this way, but much quicker results.
It’s definitely something that should be more widely accessible and more spoken about, or advertised for want of a better word. Media channels such as radio would be a great way, and the HSE or whomever the governing body dealing with that topic, should run an add campaign!
Is it possible that due to the heavy Catholicism in Ireland, and the whole “sex is a naughty topic” ideal, the sexual health subject is not as commonly discussed?
To answer your question Brian Smurph Murphy, no you cannot blame the Catholic guilt thing for the increase in STIs. The vast majority of young people have long since abandoned the Church. So sorry and all that, blaming the Catholics no longer holds up . It’s time to educate young people about personal responsibility.
John just because a lot of people have ceased to practice does not mean that society has progressed as quickly. You only have to read comments when emotive and ‘responsible’ topics such as euthanasia, termination, lone parents etc are raised
I was tested many times over the years for free in Dublin.
John I think you’ll find I didn’t blame anyone for the increase,I commented on the lack of public awareness and I merely suggested that it could be possible that the nations vastly religious upbringing and somewhat old fashioned ideals when it comes to broaching the topic of sex publicly MAY be partly a reason it’s not more publicly advertised and dealt with. I’m not “blaming the Catholics” I thinks that’s a cynical view of my comment. I’m catholic myself. The only blame I would put on the church in this instance is the adverse attitude to contraception. However them beliefs have been around for eons, I doubt they will change now and I don’t think that modern society really takes much heed of that belief either.
If I was to actually put any blame on a particular group, it is the modern attitude of carelessness when it comes to ones own personal sexual health. Yes, personal responsibility is where the buck stops, but I’m simply suggesting that a more public approach may just have a positive effect on the overall figures. It can’t hurt to suggest to people to “go for a visit” surely? It may just be that stimulus that puts the thought in many people that it’s something they need to do. A gentle reminder if you will!
Brian, Its 2013, There is no ‘lack of public awareness’ , anyone who doesn’t know about the dangers and what to look out for regarding STIs is living a box. I talk to my GP regularly about STIs and any time there’s a question mark he’ll say ‘pop a sample in bottle to be on safe side’ . When I was younger I would have been less likely to talk to my GP thing, so I guess its a maturity thing not ‘lack of awareness’, so Congratulations, You’ve grown up since moving to Oz!
@Brian. “nations vastly religious upbringing” Your comment would have fitted better in the 70s/80s not 2013, I may have had religion introduced to my life and catholicism was a big part of my life but my parents weren’t neglectful and they were open minded and smart enough to make sure we we’re well informed as we’re our teachers!
I’m glad your parents were as open minded and responsible as they were, unfortunately not all are. I think you’ve picked me up wrong but I’ll not persist in trying to explain myself. I’ll leave it go…as you so nicely put, I’ve grown up ;)
Them beliefs?
I think a lot of the people going on about personal responsibility seem to have forgotten how recently it was that condoms even became widely available in Ireland – and the current state of sex education in most Irish secondary schools. There are plenty of people who don’t know that oral sex can spread STIs or that condoms won’t prevent herpes. More education can only be a good thing.
For free “walk in” STI testing go to St. James’s Hospital GUIDE Clinic. http://www.guideclinic.ie
But to get an appointment you have to get there at 7am and get a ticket and wait there all day to be seen, not an option for many people.
Every town and village has their local bike or stud….
Some people just love sex…Ud want to double glove and get all your shots before ud go near either…..
Romantic Ireland’s not dead and gone…
@The Voice.
Awwwww, you old charmer.
My sex ed teacher taught me – up the gicker, it’s ten times quicker!
STIs have existed since the beginning of time and we all know it. And we all know these screening tests are available. People who want to get tested go and get tested. People don’t get tested because they don’t want to. It’s a choice. We complain about nanny states and the like but then complain when there’s not enough ‘awareness’. We need to be taking personal responsibility and accountability for our own sexual health.
Do you honestly think comprehensive sex education in secondary school would make Ireland a “nanny state” any more than teaching all teenagers about maths or languages?
Course not. Educate the teens. But when you’re 18 and older, you’ve been warned, it’s up to you now….
Most people who are 21 now would have had appalling sex ed in their teens. You seem to forget that there are people who actually believe keeping information on healthy sexuality is good for teenagers.
Probably the spear in thw japs eye rather than the cost I’d say
Most clinics don’t do that, unless there is puss or a sore on the area, they just do blood and urine tests.
The only free clinics are jammed by 6am-they need more clinics or maybe pharmacies could start doing the tests.
What has this got to do with mental health?
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