The research, commissioned by Marie Stopes International, comes as Chlamydia notifications last year peaked at over 62,000 notifications nationally.
“Australian men just don’t seem to be getting the message – regular STI check-ups and condom usage at all times are the only way to safeguard your sexual health,” said Jill Michelson, National Clinical Advisor for Marie Stopes International.
Other key findings from the research include[1]:
- 6 out of 10 Australian men have not had an STI check-up since they last had unprotected sex.
- 9 out of 10 Australian men have had sex without a condom.
- Females are much more likely to have had an STI check up, with 51% saying they have. By comparison, only 36% of men answered “yes” to having had an STI check up.
- People aged between 18-24 (65%) and 35-40 (57%) were the age groups that most stated they have never had an STI check-up.
“It’s not surprising that over 90% of men have had sex without a condom at some stage in their life, but when you combine that with the fact that over 60% of them have never had an STI check up, many men are simply playing Russian Roulette with their sexual health,” said Ms Michelson.
“Also of concern is the fact that the majority of safe sex campaigns are targeted at youth these days, yet this research shows that 35-40 year olds are just as exposed to unsafe sex practices and more needs to be done to get the message to them to stop.”
Research conducted by Quantum Market Research found that getting the safe sex message to men may be a challenge, with nearly 4 out of 10 men (36%) indicating they have never discussed sexual health or contraception with anyone.[2]
To add to this, men are increasingly less likely to have had the discussion as age increases, with those aged 40+ significantly less likely to have discussed sexual health or contraception compared to those aged 18-29 (40% v 28%).
“We need to use events such as Men’s Health Week to breakdown the stigma associated with sexual health issues and encourage men to speak openly about it with their friends, their partner and their GP,” said Ms Michelson.
About Marie Stopes International Australia: The Marie Stopes International Australia global partnership provides vital sexual and reproductive healthcare services to approximately 7 million people in over 40 countries worldwide. Marie Stopes offers a range of services and advice through our licensed and accredited centres in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. Marie Stopes in Australia also provides life saving support to country partner programs in the Asia-Pacific and with Indigenous communities. Surplus funds from our Australian centres are donated to help these programs grow. For more information, visit www.mariestopes.org.au or call Toll Free 1800 003 707
[1] Australians’ safe sex habits, Pure Profile (commissioned by Marie Stopes International), conducted in October 2009 on 1,002 sexually active males and females nationally aged 18-40.
[2]Australian Men’s Attitudes to Contraception and Vasectomy, Quantum Market Research (commissioned by Marie Stopes International), conducted on 1,000 males aged 18 – 59 and published in January 2006
