ABSTRACT
This chapter opens with a definition of sex, safe sex, safer sex and sexual behaviour—terms that can mean many different things to many different people. The UK government has spent millions of pounds on promoting ‘safer sex’ and has promoted the use of condoms to prevent STIs. Unprotected sex and having multiple sexual partners can lead to unwanted pregnancies and STIs, including HIV. However, chlamydia and gonorrhoea are the two most common STIs, and both are a key cause of preventable infertility amongst women. In the UK, the number of reported STI cases has risen considerably, particularly among young people. To combat the spread of STIs and deliver good sexual health outcomes, the government's current message is education, correct condom use, regular testing/diagnosis and treatment. These interventions can be both at an individual and community level and this chapter explores both the nature and success of these measures.
