The Increasing Number of Young People with STDs: Causes and Prevention Tips

The number of young people with an STI is increasing. How did that happen? And how do you best protect yourself? NU.nl lists which STDs there are again and what you should pay attention to.

In brief

The number of young people with an STI is rising due to reduced condom use and a lack of knowledge. Condoms protect against most STIs, including oral sex (just like the dental dam). Information and more money for campaigns are important to prevent STDs.

An STD is a sexually transmitted disease and you get it through unprotected sex. In 2022 there will be more young people with an STI. RIVM doctor Riva Joosten previously told NU.nl that condom use among young people has been low for years.

Linda Hauer is not surprised by that. Hauer is a sexual health consultant and owner of the sexuality agency. “I’ve been in the classroom for fifteen years to provide information. In that time I’ve seen a lot of changes.”

“When I started people were more relaxed about the subject and it was easier to talk about. Today it’s different,” says Hauer.

“Outwardly it seems that we are very open, because more is said and written about it. But young people do not know at all what to do with this information.”

It can be difficult to ask for a condom

If you don’t learn how to deal with emotions, intimacy and sexuality at home, you may find it more difficult to deal with in your adult life.

If you find it difficult to talk about this, Hauer says that could explain why it is difficult to ask for a condom. And that while the condom is the best-known contraceptive that protects against an STI.

Less known, but also safe: the female condom. It can be ordered online and is easy to use. Here read you how. Both condoms protect against most STIs during penetrative sex.

You also have to be careful with oral sex

But you also have to be careful with oral sex. “The majority of people do this unprotected,” says STD AIDS Netherlands. While STIs can also be transmitted through oral sex. The use of a condom or dental dam protects against this.

In case of complaints that resemble an STI, it is wise to test immediately. If you have no complaints, but have had unprotected sex, it is better to wait two weeks before taking a test.

The three most common STIs are chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. These are the symptoms per condition

Clamydia can be contracted through unprotected sex. You may experience pain or a burning sensation when urinating. Women may notice more discharge, and men may notice pus or mucus from the urethra. Women can also experience pain or blood loss during sexual contact. Men can have pain in the scrotum.

Gonorrhea can develop after contact between penis and anus or vagina and penis, but also through your hands, oral sex or sex toys. If women are not treated in time, they can more serious complaints to arise. The symptoms are: pain or a burning sensation when urinating, increased or abnormal discharge and intermittent bleeding. Men can suffer from an inflammation of the epididymis or the prostate.

If you are infected with the syphilis bacteria, an ulcer usually develops at the site of infection. That could be your vagina, penis, mouth or anus. Therefore, do not blow anyone with syphilis to prevent infection. It may seem that you heal spontaneously, but the disease will always come back.

This is to prevent that an STI is not yet visible on a test. At the GP or the soapoli you don’t have to bare your buttocks, but you get jars and cotton swabs to the toilet.

If things did go wrong and you have an STD, the first instance can be treated well with antibiotics. But the more often a certain STI occurs, the greater the chance that the antibiotics will not work.

More information is important

For example, Joost said that the number of cases of gonorrhea has increased sharply in the past year. “And if the antibiotics don’t work, you have your back against the wall.”

Hauer emphasizes the importance of more information. “It starts with the parents, but schools also play a role. Just like the government, by making more money available for information campaigns.”

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2023-08-27 11:11:49
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