In a recent study out this week, the shocking figures released have shown that almost fifty per cent of UK teenagers are STILL not using condoms when going with a new partner. The message about the dangers of unprotected sex are still being ignored
Last week was
National Condom week in the UK and advertising bosses throughout the UK media industry are seriously considering advertising condoms on all networks BEFORE the nine o'clock watershed in a desperate bid to make young people aware of the dangers of unprotected sex.
In the new survey by the National Aids Trust, the results which have come to light this week are both shocking and gravely disappointing. Teenagers are still not taking the strong advice about the importance of wearing a condom, particularly with a new partner, seriously. The report out this week has found that more than 200 young people under the age of 25, who took part in the survey said they very rarely use a condom and in most cases, they have never used one.
The British government have, this week, decided to back the campaign to bring condom advertisements into television and radio before 9pm at night. Members of parliament will also be looking at bringing into the educational system "condom awareness," also in the attempt to make young people think seriously about using a condom.
Speaking on behalf of the National Aids Trust, was chief executive, Deborah Jack. She told BBC Newsbeat,
"In National Condom Week, the British public need a wake-up call on condom use. Too many people don't know the basic facts on how condoms prevent a sexually transmitted infection such as HIV. Too many people are inconsistent in how they use condoms and too many people give up on condoms in a relationship without a health check-up, thus possibly harming their health or that of their sexual partner. We need to educate the whole population in the importance of condoms."
According to the Ipsos MORI survey, the results showed that around 49% of Brits do not use a condom with a new partner. Only another 17% said that they used a condom with someone they had just met, yet does this then suggest that the UK, and possibly young people in the western world are more promiscuous, or just too vain, paranoid or other, to use one in the first place? The results also showed that another 24% would only stop using a condom if both partners had been tested for HIV and other STD's. These figures then suggest that there is another 53% who are almost definitely putting their lives at risk. Our own GP's in the UK do not have to be told these figures - they understand the need, first hand, for better advice and advertising.
Family doctor, Anhoushka Hari said that through her own surgery door, she has seen a high amount of young people coming in with infections and unwanted pregnancies.
She said,
"I'm seeing more Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and infections like HIV and Hepatitis. A lot of these diseases are silent, so you can be carrying and transmitting one without having any signs of it at all."
