City urges youth to get tested
THIS MONTH, THE City of Ottawa released a report on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the city, citing gonorrhea and chlamydia as the most common infections among 20- to 24-year-olds.
Christiane Bouchard, a project officer with the Healthy Sexuality and Risk Reduction unit of Ottawa Public Health, said one of the problems with the two STIs is the lack of symptoms in 70 per cent of the cases.
“You can have them and not know it, which means you can spread them more easily,” said Bouchard.
According to the assessment, there are currently 2,314 reported cases of chlamydia in Ottawa and 273 cases of gonorrhea. Bouchard said the numbers are particularly high among young adults because it’s a highly sexually active group.
“If you have more than one partner or if you’re not in a long-term relationship—long term being more than a few months—then you should get tested regularly,” she said.
According to Bouchard, the easiest way to steer clear of STIs is to wear a condom during sexual intercourse—advice some young adults don’t follow.
“Bottom line is, condoms are the most effective way to prevent the transmission of an STI,” said Bouchard. “Even though we hear a lot of comments like, ‘Oh I don’t like condoms; they break the mood,’ I think people need to be aware that’s really the best way to protect yourself.”
In light of the numbers released in the report, the City of Ottawa has launched initiatives, such as Gettestedwhynot.ca, geared toward youth and young adults to help prevent the spread of STIs.
“On that website, we have information on how you can contract STIs,” said Bouchard. “What’s really neat about the website is you can go on there and get a requisition form, print it, and get tested for those two STIs. That way you avoid waiting at the clinic.”
The city is also working on a condom use campaign. Bouchard said youth have a lot of excuses for not using condoms, but what some people may not realize is there are a lot of different kinds of condoms.
“There are a lot of different types of condoms you can try until you find one that works for you,” she explained.
According to Bouchard, if you do contract an STI, there are a lot of resources available to help the spread and treatment of the infections. Gonorrhea and chlamydia, for example, can be treated with antibiotics the city provides for free.
“The fact that most people that have them don’t show any symptoms—it’s scary—and it’s one of the reasons they get spread so easily,” said Bouchard. “We’re saying about 70 per cent of the people that have it have no symptoms. There could be a lot of people out there that are not aware [of having an STI].”
STI tests are available at any walk-in clinic, or at the sexual health clinic on 179 Clarence St.
“You just need to provide a urine sample. It’s as easy as that,” said Bouchard. “If you’re sexually active, get tested.”
—Jane Lytvynenko
