Condoms, chlamydia, cunnilingus: we're clueless

What are you like? Many young people in England are not using condoms properly during sex and most don't know the basic facts about the most common sexually-transmitted infections.

The survey for Brook Advisory Service of 1,373 young people aged 16-21 at 21 schools and colleges at four sites in England found that knowledge about sexual health and contraception was 'generally good', but that there were significant knowledge gaps:

• 52% thought that chlamydia only affects women.
• 31% thought that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) could be caught from a toilet seat.
• 25% did not know that STIs can be transmitted by oral sex.

Condoms

The majority of young people surveyed had used condoms on at least one occasion but only one third reported consistent use.

Young people were more likely to use condoms if they had discussed and agreed it with their partners, if they had used a condom with their partners before and if sexually active friends were thought to use condoms.

The study found that some young people put a condom on after initial penetration and others continued penetration after the condom had been removed!

STI risk

Although a large proportion of young people were worried about STIs and HIV in general (89% and 83% respectively), lower proportions considered themselves to be personally at risk of STIs or HIV (61% and 50%).

Knowing someone who had been diagnosed with an STI encourages testing, but did not necessarily mean that condom use was then more frequent. Condoms were seen primarily as a device for avoiding pregnancy, not STIs, and use became more inconsistent if other contraceptive methods were being used.

Oral sex was common but young people rarely took steps to prevent STI transmission via this route — use of condoms for fellatio was rare, and using dental dams for cunnilingus was even rarer.

STIs on the rise

There has been a notable increase in new diagnoses in several STIs over the past few years while the UK has the highest rate of teen pregnancies in western Europe. Diagnoses of chlamyadia in men have increased by over 400% since 1995.