MANY Australian men could be living with chlamydia, and not even know it.
WHILE the rate of chlamydia is significantly higher in women than men, a new study on sexual health suggests a large percentage of the male population could have the disease but remains undiagnosed.
Chlamydia is mostly screened at general practices, but young men visit their GP less than women, and when they do they are three-times less likely to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases. “Despite being an at-risk group, the voices of young men are largely absent from discussions around sexual health promotion,” the study’s lead research Dr Amy Litras said. The study, which calls for targeted promotional strategies to combat the surging rates of Sexually transmissible infections (STI) in young people, also found that many men don’t know that some STIs don’t have symptoms, leading to the lack of testing. Many men were also found to be wrong in their beliefs that STI screenings are painful, invasive or embarrassing. “Participants thought an STI test was likely to involve some combination of intimate examination, needles, blood tests and painful swabs,” said Dr Litras. “When told that for most young men without symptoms it would be as simple as a urine test they said they would be much more likely to get one.” In a related study, the internet was found to be the first stop for sexual health information instead of a local doctor. The study suggested concerns about privacy and embarrassment were the main barriers preventing men from talking to their GP about sexual health. The studies will be presented at the Australasian Sexual Health Conference in Sydney which runs from October 9-11.