To understand the current risk of sexually transmitted infections facing heterosexual young people, AIDS Concern interviewed 625 adolescents aged 15-25 in Hong Kong from January to October 2016. The survey covered habits in using condoms and the infection rate for sexually transmitted diseases.
The results show that, 79% (494/625) of the men surveyed and 21% (131/625) of the women surveyed have had sex more than once in the past 6 months. Only 44% among them used condoms every time, with only 16% of young women reporting having had safe sex every time.
Pleasure and stimulation (21%) is the main reason respondents report for not using condoms. Request of the partner (14%) and single partner (14%) are the other main reasons by young women for not using condoms.
Survey result also show that, 8% (50/625) of respondents have been infected with sexually transmitted diseasesSyphilis and Chlamydia. For young women the infection rate is 18% (24/131) of respondents, far higher than young men (5%). However, from AIDS Concern data, young women testing rate is lower than young men’s (2:8). – don’t understand what this means??
AIDS Concern Youth Program Manager Mr Jim Hoe says,
“The survey results on sexually transmitted infections show the amount of unsafe sexual behavior. Young men and women need to develop better understanding about sex and young women should can reject requests for unsafe sex and encourage the use of condoms.”
“We are worried that teenagers disregard the importance of safer sex and fail to respect partners’ concerns about unsafe sex”, Jim says.
AIDS Concern program director Mandy Cheung says, “Parents can play a supportive role and show understanding of teenagers’ behavior.”
Lawmaker Dr. Kwok Ka Ki pointed out that “The Guideline on Sex Education has been published for twenty years since 1997, government should review the guideline according to the current situation of society, and should provide appropriate sexuality education in order to reduce the risk factors of HIV/STIs infection.
AIDS Concern invited YouTuber Mr. gingerlemoncola to produce a video to raise awareness of safe sex and get people to do early testing if they are at high risk. Please go to: https://youtu.be/rMuAmjWgwQA
For further information, please contact
Tobey Tse
Marketing and Communications Officer
AIDS Concern
Tel: 2898 4411