LAST week was Sexual Health Awareness Guidance (SHAG) week in Ireland, and pharmacists from the Emerald Isle took the opportunity to encourage the country's lusty young things to protect themselves from any potential nasty surprises.
The CarePlus Pharmacy group adopted a tag-line encouraging patients to "play safe" in response to provisional figures released by the Irish Health Protection Surveillance Centre, reported a rise in the number of chlamydia cases that would make many koala populations blush.
The data revealed a 16% increase in chlamydia since last year, with close to 50% of case occurring in people aged 15 to 24 years.
"Sexual health awareness has come a long way in Ireland, but we believe the message can't be repeated often enough: 'be prepared,'" said CarePlus Pharmacist, Nigel Moloney.
"There are simple steps to keep in mind in order to avoid facing unplanned pregnancy or sexually transmitted infection."
While Ireland may have become more sexually liberated in recent years, a SHAG Week survey found many remain shy about getting tested for sexually transmitted infections, with just 9% of those aged 25-34 years planning to get screened in 2020, with data from 2019 showing just 14% of those aged 15-24 years had been tested last year.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 18 Feb 20
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