Awareness about the health risks posed by sexually transmitted diseases is needed among adults as well as adolescents, University of Otago Prof Charlotte Paul says.
Prof Paul and Dr Nigel Dickson, both of the Otago department of preventive and social medicine, discussed findings from a study by departmental researchers during a recent talk at the university.
The study, recently published in the international journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases, describes the timing of diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections from first sex to age 32 among nearly 1000 people enrolled in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study cohort.
Prof Paul, the study co-author, said the study showed that women had a greater incidence of sexually transmitted infection diagnoses by age 21 than between the ages of 21 and 32.
By contrast, diagnosis rates among men were higher between ages 21 to 26 than when younger.
"It's a complicated message," Prof Paul said.
The research demonstrated worryingly high rates of sexually transmitted infections among young New Zealand women.
The findings also showed the need for adults in their 20s, as well as adolescents, to be aware of the health risks posed by such infections, Prof Paul said in an interview.
