“I’m for Safe Sex”, a campaign to prevent STIs among young people

The Ministry of Health has launched a new campaign, “I’m Safe Sex,” to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young people, with the goal of preventing the diseases from becoming a major public health problem by 2030.

An image of the new I Am Safe Sex campaign to prevent STIs among young people. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Health.

Pedro Gullon, Director General for Public Health and Health Equity The ministry introduced the “I Am Safe Sex” program to make these diseases visible among the young population, promoting self-help, prevention and individual responsibility for their sexual health and the health of the people with whom they interact.

According to the Ministry of Health, we are currently seeing an increase in the incidence of STIs in Spain. The fact that many of them have no symptoms or signs after infection makes them easier to transmit.

“The priority is to prevent these infections from becoming a major public health problem in 2030,” says Gullon. For this reason, the CEO emphasizes that in recent years the situation has become more complex and emphasis needs to be placed on vulnerable groups.

Caring for people under 25 years of age.

Latest research National Epidemiological Center shows that more than 20% of new diagnoses gonorrhea correspond to persons under 25 years of age, and in the case of chlamydia this percentage exceeds 37%.

Victoria Hernando Sebastian, a researcher at the National Center for Epidemiology, provided alarming data on STI infections in young people in a recent study.

Notably, 10.6% of new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnoses in 2022 were among young people under 25, with men and foreign-born people most affected.

Moreover, 37% of these young people were diagnosed later, indicating the need to strengthen early detection and prevention in this age group.

In the 20 to 24 year old group, men have the highest rates of syphilis, while women have the highest rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia.

These studies not only demonstrate the importance of information and prevention campaigns targeting young people, but also facilitating access to STI screening and treatment.

Its cause and transmission

STIs are caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses or parasites and are most often transmitted during unprotected sex, whether vaginal, anal or oral, and even through sharing sex toys.

It is important to emphasize that some of these diseases are not only transmitted through penetration, but there is the possibility of transmission through skin/mucosa to skin/mucosa contact or skin to skin contact if ulcerations are present.

How do I know if I have an STI?

Some infections show no symptoms and go undetected, especially at first. However, Health explains some symptoms that you should pay special attention to, as they may indicate that you have contracted an STI.

Among women:

• Abnormal vaginal discharge with or without foul odor.
• Sores, warts, hives, or blisters near the genitals, mouth, or anus.
• Inflammation of one or more nodes near the ulcer.
• Pain in the pelvic area.
• Burning when urinating or defecating.
• Bleeding from the vagina without menstruation or after sexual intercourse.
• Burning or itching around the genitals.
• Pain in the vagina during sexual intercourse, sudden onset.

For men:

• Discharge from the urethra.
• Sores, hives, warts, or blisters near the genitals, anus, or mouth.
• Inflammation of one or more nodes near the ulcer.
• Burning or itching around the genitals.
• Pain or inflammation in the testicles.
• Burning and pain when urinating or defecating.

Keys to Safe Sex

“I am for safe sex, for sex that is talked about” are some of the phrases that stand out in the campaign, referring to the fact that in order to have safe sexual relationships, communication and negotiation about desires and boundaries in sexual relationships are mandatory. it is necessary to focus on pleasure and well-being.

Additionally, a condom is the most effective method of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV and other STIs.

Moreover, although there are some STIs that are transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, such as human papillomavirus (HPV) or genital herpes, using condoms reduces the risk of transmission.

However, this method is underused.

According to him Report “Youth in Spain”although young people prefer to use condoms during penetrative sex (80%), 37% say they have not used them at all in the past year for various reasons, 27% say they have used another method of contraception, 25% of those who knew the person good enough, and 13% of those who did not have a condom at that moment.

On the other hand, there are vaccines for some STIs such as hepatitis A and B, HPV and monkeypox (MPOX).

Thus, the gradual increase in the proportion of young people having sex at an early age, with the average age of first sexual intercourse being 16.2 years according to health data, indicates that it is important to implement comprehensive sexuality education activities so that young people people also have information, personal skills and attitudes about safe and healthy sex.