“There are some things that no Valentine deserves to be given, and an STI is definitely up the top of that list,” said Jill Michelson, General Manager of Operations for Marie Stopes International.
“Yet the only way to make sure you don’t have an STI such as Chlamydia is to have an STI check-up.
“So this year, why not forget the champagne, roses and chocolates and give your cupid a gift with a difference - peace of mind when it comes to STIs.”
In 2008 there were over 58,000 notifications of Chlamydia nationwide. In comparison, there were just under 17,000 notifications of Chlamydia in 2000 – indicating that the rate of diagnosis has more than tripled over the past eight years.
To provide Australian men and women with vital information on STIs and how best to safeguard their sexual health, Marie Stopes International recently launched the Love Bugs website – www.lovebugs.com.au.
“In our day-to-day dealings with both men and women, we’ve found that there are a lot of misconceptions out there about STIs,” said Ms Michelson.
“To overcome these issues, we’ve put all of the information online, allowing them to get over their herpes hangups and access comprehensive answers to their questions on ‘love bugs’ in a private and confidential environment.”
The launch of the website follows research which found that nearly half of all women do not take into consideration protection against STIs when choosing their method of contraception.[1]
Based on the responses of the 1,033 women nationally who took part in the survey, findings also showed that 1 in 10 women either rarely or never felt comfortable to ask their partner to wear a condom.
“These results indicate that we need to be getting informed about the risks of STIs, the importance of regular STI check-ups and condom usage at all times,” Ms Michelson said.
“And there really isn’t much more of a fitting day to do it than Valentine’s Day!”
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About Marie Stopes International: Marie Stopes International is a not-for-profit sexual and reproductive healthcare provider, with centres in the ACT, VIC, NSW, QLD and WA. MSI offers a range of services, including abortion, vasectomy, sexually transmitted infection check-ups, contraception and community-based health promotion and education. The organisation is part of a global international partnership that delivers vital health services to over five million people in 42 countries worldwide. Surplus funds support Marie Stopes International Australia, our charity partner, which works to save lives and improve sexual and reproductive health in Indigenous Australia and throughout the Asia-Pacific region. For more information on the organisations, visit www.mariestopes.org.au and www.mariestopes.org.au
For media enquiries contact: Kath Markov, Public Relations - 0421 097 150
[1]Real Choices: Women, Contraception & Unplanned Pregnancy, Marie Stopes International/Web Survey, January 2008. Available for download from www.mariestopes.org.au
