A new study this week revealed that STIs, or sexually transmitted illnesses, don’t just happen to unwise twenty-somethings on a drunk night out.
Instead, teen STIs are now a growing reality. Adolescent girls as young as 12 in Australia are now a high-risk group, according to the study – 13% of all tests for girls aged 12-15 in Australia were positive.
This may seem alarming, particularly to parents, but it’s not all it seems, the scientists advise. Many young teens would be coming to get tested because of specific symptoms, which raises the likelihood of a positive test. Older girls and women often get tested more regularly, particularly once they’ve been sexually active for a while and know the risks, so they’ll have more negative tests by default.
The much worse statistic? Only 1 in 7 of young people at risk of an STI were aware of that fact.
Rates of STIs are, unbelievably enough, rising in Australia, particularly among the young. As well as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis are rocketing, particular for people between 15 and 24.
So now’s the time to talk to your teen about what the risks are, and the crucial importance of protection.
Many parents, in their ‘birds and bees’ talk, leave out STIs because they’re more focussed on convincing their teens to avoid pregnancy – but STIs can also affect fertility prospects and sexual health in general. Any talk that you have needs to include this info.
The main points to cover?
1) Different STIs can be spread different ways. Gonorrhoea is passed from sexual fluids, herpes by skin-to-skin direct contact, syphilis by contact with a syphilitic sore, and crabs through close contact of many kinds. It’s important that they know that it’s not just penetrative sex itself that can carry risks.
2) It’s very possible to have an STI without having symptoms. That’s quite common for gonorrhoea, for example.
3) There are lots of myths circulating that can be frightening and need to be dispelled. It’s basically impossible to catch crabs from unclean public spaces, for instance. STIS are also very common, so make it clear that catching one doesn’t make you a leper – most sexually adults will, over the course of a lifetime.
4) Condoms are vitally important, as are dental dams – but awareness is, too. Self-examination and keeping track of anything that could be suspicious is very important.
5) If their partner refuses to talk about it or get tested, or has an aversion to protection, it might be a good idea to think again about getting intimate with them.
If you don’t want to cover the discussion yourself, opt for a proper governmental website, like sti.health.gov.au or the STI site of Britain’s NHS. They can communicate the details without scaring the living daylights out of your kid, and answer specific questions easily.
However, the best thing you can do for any teen is encourage them to get tested – regularly and without fuss. It’s not a shameful thing to want to take care of yourself and your partner.
This could become a lot easier soon, as a US company is testing an over-the-counter comprehensive STI test. It apparently acts rather like a pregnancy test, produces instantaneous results for a wide variety of STIs, and would be inexpensive.
However, before that point, make sure your teen knows how to get access to local testing on their own. Getting them to take control of their sexual health is one of the best lessons you can give.
Good luck!
Lady Friday xx
Taking the pillow talk out of the bedroom, every Friday….
