STIQ Day
every 14 January
STIQ Day has been founded to draw attention to the importance of our sexual health – and in encouraging people to get regular STI (sexually transmitted infections) examinations.
Can you say with 100% positivity that you haven’t contracted an STI? Sexually transmitted diseases are becoming more and more common in the UK every year.
Who is in danger of infection? An ICM poll suggested that each Briton will have around nine bed partners in their lifetime. But whether you’ve had one partner or a good deal more you could be at risk. It doesn’t matter if you’re gay or straight – or what age you might be – if you’ve had one single unprotected sexual encounter you could be at risk.
You might thinking, but I’m perfectly healthy?! While this could be true, STIs often don’t carry external symptoms which means the only way to know for sure would be to get an STI assessment.
For example 70% of women and 50% of men show no symptoms whatsoever after contracting Chlamydia. Chlamydia is the most common STI condition in the UK. Left untreated, the sufferer can end up infertile or with pelvic inflammatory disease.
Other conditions like hepatitis might be life-threatening in the long-term – or could be very serious and lead to a shortened life. It’s not worth leaving up to chance is it?
This year’s STIQ Day will be all about protecting and informing yourself about STIs as much as possible. Are you protecting yourself? This is ensured not just through wearing a condom, but also through an honest conversation with your partner about your sexual histories.
Many people get embarrassed about the idea of getting tested. But remember, they are expertly trained and there to help you – the last thing they going to do is judge you! The good news is that most of the time if you test positive, you will be given antibiotics until the condition clears up.
To find out more about the day and testing, head to the STIQ Day website.