DISEASES

Young Australians are ignorant about their sexual health

Author: John
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Time: 2011/8/20 16:08:12

A survey of more than 1000 18 to 35-year-olds found many were in the dark about Pap smears, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and how the contraceptive pill works.

One in 10 men believed the pill protected a woman against STIs such as gonorrhoea and chlamydia, while one in five did not know STIs could affect their fertility.

Nearly half of all those surveyed wrongly believed Pap smears for cervical cancer could also pick up STIs.

The survey, carried out in July for private health insurer Bupa, also found four in 10 young Australians did not know when a woman was most likely to fall pregnant.

"The level of misinformation about sexual health should be a concern, particularly given recent figures which show the incidence of STIs has been increasing again in Australia," Bupa's head of clinical advisory Dr Stan Goldstein said.


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