‘National measures needed against rise in STDs’

“I’m having sex safely or I’m not having sex”, we haven’t heard that slogan for thirteen years. STD rates are now rising and condom use is falling. Some cities are now trying to intervene, but Soa Aids Nederland again wants the national approach to be renewed.

The city of Diemen recently decided to provide free condoms to young people. A similar initiative is now emerging in Amstelveen. That must be welcomed, writes Soa Aids Nederland today in Het Parool“but measures of this nature must be taken across the country.”

The campaign I am very safe has been running since the 1980s, funded by the Ministry of Health. That funding was stopped after 2011. And that is obvious, says Soa Aids Nederland. The group has seen condom use among young people decline every year since 2012. The increase in the number of STDs is also evident.

The venereal disease gonorrhea in particular spreads rapidly. Figures from the RIVM for 2023 showed that the number of people with gonorrhea increased by 31 percent that year. A year earlier, that figure had already increased by 33 percent.

And while the numbers for other STDs remained relatively stable, STD AIDS in the Netherlands saw it becoming increasingly difficult to get tested, especially for young people and high-risk groups.

Apart from their family doctor, they can in principle go to the Sexual Health Centre, which offers free and anonymous care. But these institutions do not have enough money to meet the growing demand. “More and more people want to be tested, but the budgets have not changed since 2015,” said Lyle Muns from Soa Aids Nederland in the News NOS Radio 1.

At a time when all kinds of misinformation is being spread, these shortages are an added concern, Muns thinks. Young people get a lot of information through social media. For example, the name ‘natural contraceptives’ has become popular recently, which means that more young women are using it. at least at an abortion clinic it had to be knocked.

So Muns sees great potential in prevention campaigns, especially on these channels. “The Sexual Health Center is also the place to get reliable information about STDs. If you don’t invest in it, people won’t get good information.”

STDs left untreated can cause health damage, Muns knows. “Gonorrhea, for example, can damage joints. Venereal disease can also affect pregnancy.”

That’s why it’s strange that the government wants to cut back on prohibition, says Muns. The foundation would like to see investment again in prevention, for example by fixing such a problem I am very safe– campaign. “We know prevention works. We don’t want to scare anyone, but we need to make care and information accessible.”