Girls, the data that the last report of the Bloom Observatory STIs in women in Spain (with the support of Clínica Dexeus and Fundación Puigvert) are not good. And it is that this study on sexually transmitted infections among the female population reveals that these diseases they have shot up 1,073% in Spain in a period of 7 years (more specifically, in the period between 2012-2019). But, don’t panic, because information is power and what is discovered can help us recharge our batteries.
The survey, carried out on 2,021 women (including transsexuals and non-binary people) ”, not only collects the growth figures for infections but also analyzes the causes and changes in trends in sexual matters.
Most diagnosed STIs
Thus, among the most diagnosed sexually transmitted infections, the chlamydia (64.8% of cases), the gonorrhea (15.6%) and the hiv virus (8%), followed by syphilis (5.6%), hepatitis C (3.6%), hepatitis B (2.3%) and lymphogranuloma venereum (0.1%).
Age range most at risk
On the other hand, it has been observed that 80% of all diagnosed cases occurred in women between 15 and 35 years old. According to the report, at that age fewer infections are recorded due to the stabilization of the number of sexual partners.
Higher risk areas
Another factor to take into account is the place of residence and that is, where there are more population concentration and more tourism It is where there are more cases of STIs. Thus, the impact is greater in communities such as Catalonia (as an example: in 2019 it concentrated more than half of the STI cases in all of Spain), Madrid, the Valencian Community, Andalusia and the Canary Islands.
Lack of STI education
The data is overwhelming: 70% of the women (seven out of ten) who have participated in the survey consider that their knowledge about STIs is poor and 13.46% of them would not know how to mention any of them.
Álvaro Vives, andrologist and head of the Puigvert Foundation’s Sexually Transmitted Infections Unit, points out in the report that the increase in STIs is due to increase in sexual partners in new generations. Although, in relation to this, the 10th barometer “Young Spaniards and sex” suggests that covid could change these data in the future because, after the pandemic, it seems that we are more cautious with our sexual partners.
In fact, this study establishes that 47.8% of the Spaniards surveyed have reduced risk behaviors in sex and 48.4% are very reluctant to have sex with strangers, although there is a percentage of young people who say they are unaware of the sexual health status of the people they sleep with. more specifically, 23.9% of young Spaniards.
However, to the aforementioned circumstance it should be added that the condom is “insufficient” if it is only used at the time of intercourse. For this situation, advances in contraceptives such as the unisex condom could be beneficial, since there are diseases such as herpes and syphilis that can be transmitted by contact, without the need to penetrate. In addition, what is known as “reverse gear” (intercourse without a condom in which there is no ejaculation inside the vagina) does not protect against the vast majority of STIs and has been practiced by 26% of those surveyed and 10% admit that it is a common practice in their relationships with men.
In addition, 27% of those surveyed believe that they may have had an STI, but only 66% have had a test. Still, women visit the doctor more than men, who accumulate more cases of these diseases and that, as 50% of infections do not cause symptoms, they are underdiagnosed.
Irene Aterido, sexologist; an expert in the menstrual cycle and collaborator of Intimina, she gave us some advice on STIs and put us on notice of what symptoms we had to watch out for after a risky sexual relationship: “we can perceive itching, discharge unusual in color, thickness, or consistency and, in the case of having parasites such as trichomonads, a characteristic fishy, sour odor”. In addition, he advises that, in case of any concern, it is best “not to wait and consult a doctor”.
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