Concern STIs are on the rise in Canada during pandemic

Health officials say there has been an increase in sexually transmitted infections across the country during the pandemic.

One of the reasons is the lack of access to testing. But now, health departments are pushing people to get tested because the longer you wait, the higher the risk for serious consequences.

“Many of the clinics and other healthcare sites that were providing STI testing were doing a lot less of it during the pandemic,” says Alex McKay, the executive director of Sex Information & Education Council of Canada.

McKay says there are a number of obstacles that stop people from getting tested in general, including the stigma attached to STIs, among other reasons.

“They assume it’s not going to happen to them. Secondly, the vast maturity of cases of sexually transmitted infections are transmitted asymptomatically and the person who develops the infection is asymptomatic as well,” warns McKay.

The pandemic was also a time when health officials were encouraging people to stay home. But not everyone was listening.

“People were still having sex. People were still connecting with people outside of their households in order to have sex. Maybe they were doing that in different ways than they might have before the pandemic set in,” says McKay.

“We really need to redouble our efforts to promote sexual health promotion generally by the public health community and we have to ensure that access to STI testing is restored and that people are encouraged to access it,” he says.

Current Canadian guidelines recommend annual STI screening for everyone under 30 years old who is sexually active, as part of routine health care.

“The more time goes on with an undiagnosed infection, the greater the chance that you’re making yourself vulnerable sometimes to some very serious health consequences, which can range from infertility all the way up to different forms of cancer,” warns McKay.

Current Canadian guidelines recommend annual STI screening for everyone under 30 years old who is sexually active, as part of routine health care.

Guidelines from public health say if you’re at risk of HIV, consider speaking with your healthcare provider about pre- and post-exposure preventative treatment for HIV. They encourage people to practice safe sex, adding when used correctly, condoms are effective towards reducing the risk of STIs, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, as well as preventing unplanned pregnancies.