It reveals that while many young adults possess a strong understanding of STI and pregnancy prevention, there remains a critical gap between this knowledge and the practice of safer sexual health behaviours. This includes a lack of STI testing and a significant number of young adults engaging in condomless sex.
Despite valuing consent and the reduction of STI risks, the study highlights gender differences in sexual health values. Women are generally more concerned about pregnancy prevention than men and exhibit greater knowledge of effective prevention methods, indicating a disproportionate responsibility placed on women (or abdication of responsibility by men) in heterosexual relationships.
Although women show better awareness of STI types, paradoxically, young women self-assess a lower STI risk than young men—contradictory to prevalence data.
Addressing these gender disparities through education and communication campaigns could positively impact public health outcomes. Additionally, a troubling number of respondents, especially men, mistakenly believe that contraceptive pills can prevent STIs; about 20% consider period tracking technologies to be effective pregnancy prevention methods.
This underscores a concerning misunderstanding, particularly since natural family planning methods have significantly lower typical use success rates. Furthermore, over half the respondents had never undergone STI testing, citing stress, privacy concerns with home testing kits, and perceived expense as barriers.
This suggests an urgent need to clarify the realities of current public STI testing services provided by HSE, emphasising that home testing kits are discreet and that both home and clinic testing services are free of charge.
For more information, please contact Deirdre Kelly (Associate Director) deirdre.kelly@ipsos.com, Larry Ryan (Director) larry.ryan@ipsos.com, Niamh Doyle (Account Director) niamh.doyle@ipsos.com
