Lack of Sex Education Leads to Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Worrying statistics emerging from Western Australia seem to indicate that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are on the rise. The cause of this sexual health problem seems to be a lack of sex education amongst young people leading to them taking unnecessary risks due to lack of knowledge.

A recent report was published by the WA Health Department which showed a significant spike in the number of reported cases of STDs in the state, and this has led to further calls for an improved sexual education programme to be put in place to protect the wellbeing and sexual wellness of young people.

The report also highlights particular areas of concern, such as the increased rates of gonorrhea in particular, and the fact that 54% of cases of this disease are reported by young people in the 15 – 24 age bracket.

On the flip side, there are positives to observe in the fact that more STDs are being reported, as this means that young people are at least aware enough to get tested. The high rates do, however, lead to serious questions about how young people are viewing sex and their attitudes towards safe sex.

Sexual health has been a taboo issue for a long time, meaning that people do not tend to talk to young people about it. This trend has to change, however, as open discussion is the only way to tackle the serious sexual health problems that are starting to infest the younger generation.

As well as a lack of sexual education, it is thought that young people engage in risky sexual behaviours due to other factors such as peer pressure and the influence of drugs and alcohol. Combined with a lack of knowledge about contraception or avoiding STIs, this can lead to very serious health problems.

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