The USS Kitty Hawk, USS Cowpens, USS Juneau and USS Tortuga are expected to bring more than 5000 sailors to Australia’s shores, with the USS Kitty Hawk arriving in Sydney Harbour this morning.
“While we hope the sailors have a wonderful time during their visit to Sydney, it is vital that condoms are used at all times if sexual activity is on the cards,” said Suzanne Dvorak, CEO of Marie Stopes International.
“Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are at an all time high in Australia, and people cannot afford to put their sexual health at risk.”
Chlamydia notifications have more than doubled over the past six years, with 47,085 notifications nationally in 2006 compared to only 16,968 notifications in 2000.[1]
In May 2007, there were 1,072 notifications of Chlamydia in NSW alone.
“These statistics show that Chlamydia has proven itself to be on the rise, and rising at a fast rate,” Ms Dvorak said.
“Chlamydia often has no symptoms, so it can be contracted and passed on unknowingly.
“The only way to ensure you don’t have the infection is to get an STI check up, and the only way to protect yourself against it is to use a condom at all times.”
“And we hope that’s an order the US sailors and their sexual partners will follow!”
Marie Stopes International is a not-for-profit sexual and reproductive healthcare provider, with centres in New South Wales, ACT, Queensland, and Western Australia. The organisation offers a range of services, including abortion, vasectomy, sexually transmitted infection check-ups and contraception. Surplus proceeds from Australian activities support the work of the Marie Stopes International Partnership, which delivers sexual and reproductive health services to over four million people in 37 countries worldwide.
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[1] National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System
