ROME (ITALPRESS) – “Sex roulette,” “calippo tour,” chemsex: opportunities for casual sex are multiplying, especially among younger people, often also foddered by the challenges launched by apps and social networks. These phenomena, in addition to having numerous social implications, can also cause contagions from Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), the figures for which are on the rise throughout Europe, with Italy being no exception. Of concern is the lack of awareness: the “shame” of having lost a challenge is greater than the risk of having contracted a disease with possible harmful consequences. Numbers and up-to-date studies on these issues were the focus of the 10th National Congress of the Interdisciplinary Society for the Study of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (SIMaST), which was held in Rome in recent weeks in the presence of more than 200 specialists including infectivologists, epidemiologists, dermatologists, gynecologists, urologists and other health professionals. Also presented on this occasion was the Vademecum on Safe Sex, a pamphlet intended for the entire population, with particular attention to younger people.While waiting for the official News Bulletin from the Istituto Superiore di Sanità , the first data from the sentinel surveillance systems of STIs in Italy (which are not data on all STI cases, but only a “tip of the iceberg”) coordinated by the ISS AIDS Operations Center note significant increases.”In 2022, for Gonorrhea, about 1,200 cases were reported to the sentinel system, which compared to 820 in 2021 implies an increase of 50 percent,” stresses Barbara Suligoi, ISS COA Director and SIMaST Congress President. “For Syphilis, we went from 580 cases in 2021 to 700, an increase of 20 percent. This growth is not only an effect of post-pandemic socialization, but is also seen compared to 2019, when Gonorrhea cases had been 610 (so compared to then increased by 100%), while Syphilis cases were 470, thus increased by more than 50%. On Chlamydia, the finding is also similar: from 800 cases in ’19, there were 993 in 2022, an increase of 25%. The most notable aspect is the involvement of young people, particularly those under 25: the prevalence of Chlamydia among girls in this age group is 7%, while above 40 it is just 1%. In 3 out of 4 cases, chlamydia infection is asymptomatic, so many girls are not aware of it. “Another striking finding emerges from the international HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children) Study, in which ISS also collaborated, which in September 2024 published the 2022 data. In Italy, among sexually active young people at age 15, 69.4 percent of boys and 61.6 percent of girls reported having used a condom in their last sexual intercourse, but at age 17 lower percentages are recorded: 65.9 percent in boys and 56.8 percent in girls. What emerges from the comparative data is the decline since 2014 in condom use among sexually active 15-year-olds, a worrying finding. The phenomenon has global dimensions, with a decline from 2014 to 2022 of 9% among males and 6% among females.A picture of broad misinformation emerges: in the survey conducted by SIMaST, school and family often fail to raise awareness among boys approaching their first sexual approaches; young people neglect the support that the Family Physician can offer and often do not have relationships with specialists, with males sometimes not even aware of the figure of the andrologist. From this need arose SIMaST’s proposal for a tool with a popular slant to broaden the knowledge of prevention, risks, and possible remedies. “Our scientific society opens to the public, turning especially to younger people,” emphasizes Luca Bello, SIMaST president. “At the congress we will present the “Vademecum for the Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections,” a training material that can be downloaded directly from our website. With this booklet, which was collaborated on by several specialists from the ISS, the ASL City of Turin and the Navy, we aim to inform about risk behaviors; let people know ways to prevent infection; and recognize the symptoms and signs of a potential STI in progress. Through illustrations, links and useful information, we analyze the different STIs, the possible consequences and warn the populations most at risk, such as minors under 15 years of age, women, the immunocompromised, and those who use alcohol and drugs. “In the vademecum, we also dwell on the ten basic rules that one should always take into account,” Luca Bello points out. “First of all, use condoms in all casual relationships. Next, remember that using the pill and other female contraceptives prevent pregnancy but do not protect against STIs. Keep in mind that having sex during menstruation may reduce the risk of pregnancy but does not protect against STIs. Always be mentally clear when about to have sexual intercourse: alcohol and substances take away mental clarity, and under their influence one does not notice unsafe health behaviors. Reduce the number of sexual partners: the more people you have unprotected intercourse with, the more you are at risk of contracting an STI. “Avoid casual intercourse or with partners whose health status you do not know without a condom,” adds Barbara Suligoi, among the authors of the manual. “In case of an inflammation, ulcer, lesion in the genital area, anal or around the mouth, genital discharge from the vagina, penis or anus, do not have intercourse of any kind. Avoid intercourse while undergoing treatment for an STI. If you think you have an STI warn your partner, have sex only with a condom, and see a doctor. Get tested regularly for STIs and HIV if you have numerous casual partners. “On the institutional side, there is great activism to encourage support for legislation to promote greater awareness. The bill presented by the Honorable Mauro D’Attis on October 13, 2022 to reform Law 135/90, which is currently mired in committee consideration, proposes a number of interventions to combat HIV, Papilloma Virus and STIs, including lowering the age limit without parental authorization for access to HIV testing to 14, promoting a culture of prevention, and officially recognizing the third sector.In parallel, the Ministry of Health is launching a “Strategic National Plan” for prevention for “HIV, Viral Hepatitis and STIs”-a proposal currently being drafted, which, pending the implementation process, could make Italy the first country in Europe to develop such an extensive plan. The goals are ambitious: improved access to testing; a network between hub and spoke centers in the territory to encourage specific treatments in the former and generic testing in the latter; facilitations and facilities for the weaker groups, with a reduction in the cost of testing and the construction of diagnostic laboratories of excellence; ad hoc training for health personnel at STI centers, given the psychological component needed in reception and counseling services in this area; monitoring of bacterial resistance; and a more incisive role for schools.-press office photo Studio Diessecom-(ITALPRESS).
