Christmas is the busiest time for STI clinics because there is so much drunken socialisation, a sexual health doctor has said.
St James's Hospital consultant Dr Aisling Loy there has recently been a decline in people contracting STIs following a “huge peak” after the pandemic.
Despite this, she warned people that Christmas is a time when many let their guard down and pick up an STI.
“This week leading up to Christmas and the weeks following Christmas are our busiest times in clinic,” she told The Pat Kenny Show.
“Mainly because I guess it’s that social time of year; when people go out, they take too much to drink and sometimes other substances and maybe make decisions that they normally wouldn’t make.
“And then wake up with symptoms or regret or worry or concerns and then come into us.”
Durex condoms. Picture by: Alamy.com.Dr Loy warned that while many people become symptomatic after two weeks of contracting an STI, most have no symptoms whatsoever.
“You could have something and not have any symptoms at all, so don’t let that put you off getting tested,” she said.
“But most appear within two weeks; if you were to get a symptom - unusual discharge, a lesion, a bump, a lump, pain on urination or having intercourse - mostly they’ll come up within two weeks.
“You can get symptoms sooner than that - a few days - but mostly within two weeks.
“But again, most STIs have no symptoms.”
Condoms. Picture by: Niall Carson/PA Archive/PA Images.Dr Loy added that while the number of STIs diagnoses is lower than now than it was after lockdown, it is still higher than it was in 2019.
“We’re still up 30% on STI diagnoses in Ireland from pre-pandemic,” she said.
“But there’s been a decrease in the last year of around 10%, which is a great thing.
“That could be because we’ve introduced lots of new measures, increased testing.
“Some people will be on DoxyPEP, that will prevent in the GBMSM (Gay, Bisexual, Men who have sex with Men) community.
“That might be adding to some of the decrease.”
Dr Loy added she hopes that people are using condoms more “but I really don’t think that’s the case”.
You can order a free at home STI testing kit from the HSE here.
Main image: A couple kissing at Christmas time. Picture by: Alamy.com.
