A new sexual health study has indicated that British women are neglecting to get themselves tested for HIV. It is hoped that this new research will act as a ‘wake-up call’ to women in Britain, particularly to the 63% of the participants who believed that they did not need to get tested because they were in a long term relationship.
The study by the Mac Aids Fund was developed to investigate British women’s attitudes towards condoms. The results were worrying; with 82% of British women admitting to having sex without a condom, and a further 35% claiming that they trusted that their partner did not carry the HIV virus.
Despite the fact that cases of HIV and AIDS have tripled in the last ten years a total of 62% of those interviewed claimed they did not consider the disease to be a threat in their community.
Nancy Mahon, executive director of MAC Aids Fund expressed her concern at the findings and claimed that the results indicated the divergence between the perception of the disease and the reality of its prevalence in the UK.
The lack of condom use in Britain has also led to an increase in other sexually transmitted diseases. Cases of gonorrhoea, genital herpes and syphilis have all risen in number in the last decade as have cases of the symptomless condition Chlamydia.A high profile advertising campaign highlighting the risks of unprotected sex is currently airing on TV and is hoped to raise awareness of the importance of practising safe sex to young people in Britain.