Britain Take Risks When It Comes To Sex

Britain Take Risks When It Comes To Sex

Despite constantly being told of the dangers of STIs and the sad tales of unwanted pregnancy, it appears that Britons are still taking risks when it comes to their sexual health.

Durex conducted a survey which uncovered that only 46 per cent of Brits would always use a condom when having sex with a new sexual partner and also found that 1 in 10 Brits were willing to take the risk of STIs and unwanted pregnancy instead of using a condom.

Younger generations were no different. Student Beans conducted a survey of 5,000 students and found that 66 per cent of students have unprotected sex and that 26 per cent only use condoms with a new partner.

With Britain having one of the highest STI rates in Europe you would think that people would be more aware of the dangers that neglecting your sexual health can bring.

Chlamydia is one of the most common STIs and affects 1 in 10 sexually active people. It usually shows no symptoms and that is why it is so dangerous. If it goes untreated, the long term damage can include ectopic pregnancy and blocked fallopian tubes for women, and for men can infect the testicles and reduce fertility.

If symptoms do present, they are particularly unpleasant and can be very painful. Both men and women can suffer from unusual discharge from the vagina or penis and both can suffer from intense pain during sex. Women also may endure a painful abdomen whilst men can encounter painful testicles.

So why are so many people risking infection by not wearing a condom? Durex discovered that 1 in 5 people don’t use a condom because they simply don’t have one on them and that 30 per cent of people forget about them altogether.

Durex also found that two thirds of young Brits weren’t ready to lose their virginity when they did, and to make the ordeal even worse, half of all Brits didn’t use a condom when they did, putting us at one of the worse rates in the world.

Student Beans found that 45 per cent of students  would have liked to have better sex education classes at school, and this may be why such a small amount of people are using protection when they’re having sex.

The morning after pill seems to be a common remedy for unwanted pregnancy for young Brits as Student Beans found that 49 per cent of girls had taken it whilst being sexually active. This is insane, why not just use a condom and then you’re protected against both unwanted pregnancy and STIs.

So many Brits are risking themselves when there is really no need for it! Condoms aren’t something we should be embarrassed to buy, you’re protecting yourself. In those cases where you are too embarrassed to buy them, or don’t have the money (they’re expensive little things!) you can get them free from your local family planning clinic.

So come on Brits, let's stop taking unnecessary risks and take care of our bodies!

Cara Mason