STI increase fear as schoolies arrives
Sun 13 December 2009
Cadence Page, Bachelor of Journalism
As Year 12 students celebrate ‘Schoolies Week’, the cultural rite of passage, health workers fear a further increase of sexually transmitted infections (STI) rates among drunken teens.
Youth sexual behaviours are poorly reflected by the 20 per cent increase in Chlamydia rates last year.
La Trobe University’s 2009 report on sexual health of Australian secondary students found that 78 per cent of students had experienced sexual activity, and almost half of these had had sex with three or more partners in the previous year.
Almost a quarter of students reported being either drunk or high the last time they had sex.
The Commission for Children Young People and Child Guardian assistant commissioner Barry Salmon said that the rates of Chlamydia continue to increase in young people, and that teenage pregnancy increased for the first time in over a decade.
“Unfortunately, some young people are inadequately prepared, leaving them vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections,” Mr Salmon said.
“I am concerned young people’s engagement in unprotected sex with multiple partners may also be a contributing factor.”
Chlamydia, also known as the ‘silent STI’, often goes undetected because there are no visible signs.
Despite 90 per cent of students knowing the risks of spreading an infection without obvious symptoms, only one third of students use condoms to prevent STIs every time.
Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society National Clearinghouse for Sexuality Education Teaching Resources moderator Pam Blackman said that binge drinking in Year 12 women increased to 84 per cent, and one third of these experienced unwanted sex while drunk last year.
“Sex, drugs and rock and roll go together,” Ms Blackman said.
“We know that there has been a marked increase in participants reporting that they had unwanted sex at some time and that the role of alcohol in unwanted sex is becoming increasingly prominent.”
An STI screening trial introduced to Canberra high school students in 2005 found unsafe sex and other risk factors were common, and that 1.1 per cent of the 644 students tested positive to Chlamydia.
Queensland Council of Parents and Citizens’ president Margaret Black said that they would not support STI screening in schools.
Chancellor College Sports Co-ordinator Megan Murr declined to comment on this matter.
“Senior students at Chancellor have access to our School nurse,” Ms Murr said.
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