wrap it before you tap it

OPINION

By Mary Fekos

31/05/2014

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When it comes to sex there’s a general acceptance that you can do

what you want, when you want, with whom you want and however

you want it. And we usually keep all these facts behind closed doors

and beneath the sheets, but when the issue at hand has the tendency

to spread and affect more than a handful of people, something needs

to be said.

 

The number of Australians diagnosed with STIs is on a steep incline,

but this statistic can no longer be explained as an innocent, naïve

mistake.  STIs are Sexually Transmitted Infections, previously and also

known as STDs (Sexually Transmitted Disease). People are putting

themselves in a high-risk situation if not by choice, then by being in

a state in which they cannot make the right decisions.

 

Justifying these numbers by blaming a lack of education is weak.

 

Spending four of my high school years in a Catholic school where

abstinence was preached above all other forms of contraception, we were still opened up to what STIs are, how they can be contracted and

how they can be prevented. What you can attribute this statistic to is carelessness and a lack of communication between sexual partners.

 

Recent studies have found a large number of Australians engage in high-risk sexual behavior with the number one cause being drug and alcohol abuse. In simple terms, people are having a good time, drinking alcohol. Perhaps a little too much, or in other cases taking other substances. Then they find themselves in a heated situation and don’t think. Or they don’t think taking certain precautions as necessary.

 

The problem here isn’t the sex itself, or the lack of condoms – but it’s the context in which these two come together. For instance, the following checklist shows situations where both parties are taking precautions whereas in others, they are not.

 

Sexual partners use a condom.

Sexual partners have talked about their histories and choose not to use protection.

Sexual partners have talked about their histories and choose to use protection.

Sexual partners are both intoxicated and do not use protection.

 

Alarm bells should be ringing in the final situation. The lack of communication has put both of these people at risk of contracting a disease. In one instance, they both get on with their lives unaffected. However, if one was carrying an infection, their partner is now infected and they can repeat this process, creating a domino effect.

 

Beyond the sex, the missing condom, and the spread of the infection, STI’s spread because people are too embarrassed to see a doctor. Dr. Sadia Suleman, a local GP stresses it is important to be checked regularly. Especially if you have had multiple partners and are unaware of their sexual history.  She says, “People on drugs an alcohol, they have less knowledge and they are screen less because they don’t want to see the doctors.”

 

Someone could blindly be carrying an infection and spreading it unconsciously. This can be classed as negligence.  The spread of STIs is something that could be easily avoided if people were honest and more careful. I understand that alcohol and drugs can impair a person’s ability to make decisions but perhaps that is something they should think about. Try drinking in moderation, be prepared – whether you are a male or female, carry a spare condom if you think things will get funky.

 

A simple one-minute conversation, an extra second of fumbling around with wrappers and this chain reaction can be avoided. There should be no excuses in this day and age for such a widespread of infection. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Visit your GP regularly; if you’re mature enough to be sexually active you should be mature enough to deal with these situations.

 

 Small inconveniences indeed, but when you look at it from a bigger picture it’s worthwhile. Above all, people need to be honest when it comes to sex. No secrets, no hiding between the sheets because it will all come out eventually. Just remember that every decision you make can affect more than just yourself.