Digital Media a source of awareness for Sexually Transmitted Infections?
By: Iyanthie Da-Silva
The world today has been taken in a whirlwind by digital media. The internet, online texting, social networking platforms and various mobile applications are unavoidable and are almost an obsession among young adults and adolescents. Even though we see these platforms as simply sources to “connect”, in reality it is a resourceful source that enables these young users to gather a multitude of information on various topics including health. This post will review the recent impact digital media has had on educating and reducing risks of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) among young adults and adolescents.
A surge of almost 45% of STI’s has been reported in Ireland during the first half of 2022. The increased number of cases has been in HIV and the highest number of infections has been reported among young adults between the ages of 20 - 24 years (Fanucci, 2022). Digital media can be looked upon as an important tool of communication in STIs. It can be used to monitor discussions on such topics and by getting young people involved in such discussions, understand and measure their behaviour. Research reveals that digital media is the commonly used medium by most adolescents’ to gather information on various health related topics, which they are not comfortable speaking about with adults. Even though the general observation is that the association with social media is the key factor in the increased risky sexual behaviour among adolescents, this fact has yet not been 100% validated. At present there is a tremendous increase in digital media based interventions to help reduce the risk and improve the prevention of sexually transmitted infections (Gilliam et al., 2014).
In research conducted, it has been identified that most young adults and adolescents constantly search various topics on sexual behaviour across all mediums of digital media, given below is a chart for the key words and searches used by users in their searches. Therefore, it is evident that the main source for searches are Digital media channels, therefore, making it also the best medium to reach out and help youngsters in need.
Figure 01 : Source : (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2017)
Looking across all platforms, Instagram and YouTube are used by organisations to run STI awareness programmes by featuring influencers who are admired and trusted by the younger generation. Such channels may not only help youngsters on STI awareness, but on many facts related to sexual health and wellbeing. These videos will also enlighten adolescents on how important consent is and when to say NO. Also about cyberbullying and what precautions and actions need to be taken at such times. This can be seen as an effective way to reach out to young audiences as most of these programmes encourage interaction.
Source : YouTube (Laci Green)
Sexual health remains a stigmatised area up to date. Therefore, people seeking information look for alternative methods than visiting traditional physical clinics. Leaning towards apps to find such information and cures may seem appealing. However, what adolescents and young adults should bear in mind is the fact that not every site, group, app or chat carries 100% authentic or validated information. In a recent study carried out it was revealed that out of 6642 apps which were tested only 144 were even eligible to be categorised as a responsible app. Only 46% of the content covered information on multiple STIs. 15% carried fully, 53% mostly & 32% of it carried partially accurate information (Gibbs et al., 2017)
Amongst these deceiving paths, there are many organic and trustworthy sources as well, that are genuinely dedicated to the cause of creating awareness and prevention. Apps created by HSE, NHS and CDC are certified and approved and users are guaranteed to find 100% accurate information. Also most test kits and results offered by these organisations bear no cost. Therefore it is important to be mindful of what digital channels you engage in, when in search for sensitive data as such.
A secure and trustworthy page containing a wealth of information on STI’s on Facebook is https://www.facebook.com/STI.
As we all know, STI’s are on the rise and will continue to be if not made aware, tested & treated timely and correctly. As a responsible society it is our duty to reach out to friends, family and the younger generation and stigmatise and be cynical in matters as such anymore. We should ride the tide and make the maximum of the digital tsunami that is slowly but steadily taking over the world. The digital world may have its pro’s and con’s just as everything in life. Focusing on the benefits and the advantages it may bring our way is the way forward.
Some people may see Digital media as a foe and as one of the reasons for the increase in STI’s among the young, but it's time to look at it as the “new friend to turn to” in prevention of STI’s.
By:Iyanthie Da Silva
Keywords: HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infections, STI Awareness, Chlamydia, Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Genital Herpes, HPV, Safe Sex
References
Fanucci, B. (2022) Surge of almost 45% in the number of sexually transmitted infections reported in Ireland, GCN. Available at: https://gcn.ie/surge-stis-
Gilliam , M., Chor, J. and Hill, B. (2014) Digital Media and sexually transmitted infections, Current opinion in obstetrics & gynecology. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.
Gibbs, J. et al. (2017) 'can you recommend any good STI apps?' A review of content, accuracy and comprehensiveness of current mobile medical applications for stis and related genital infections, Sexually Transmitted Infections. BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. Available at: https://sti.bmj.com/content/
This article is a perfect example of how social media can be used to raise awareness about sexually transmitted diseases. It is evident that the young adults are mostly infected with STDs and they are not very much aware about the consequences that they have to face when they get infected with a STD. They can face many health related issues due to STDs and some STDs like HIV AIDS can have dangerous effects on health and it can also lead to death. In the modern era , we can see many young adults are using social media widely and almost every young adults in the age group 20-24 is on social media. Since it is evident from this article that social media is the most effective tool to raise awareness about the sexually transmitted diseases to young adults. Social media can be used to raise awareness on preventive ,measures that can be taken to avoid getting infected with dangerous sexually transmitted diseases.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderfully Digital media has revolutionized the way we access and share information about sexually transmitted infections (STIs). With the vast array of online resources available, individuals can now easily access accurate and up-to-date information on STIs, including symptoms, treatment options, and prevention methods. Before digital media it was way too difficult to find such rich information on the STI topic. Thanks iyanthie for sharing such useful information and contributing in creating awareness on sexually transmitted infections, which is surely needed for today's generation to avoid diseases. "Some people may see Digital media as a foe" I believe this statement is true people should take advantage of technology instead of hating it.
ReplyDeleteThis article is spot on. I believe social media can be used as a tool to reduce the number of people living with STI's by creating awareness about sexually transmitted diseases. So many young adults spend most of their time surfing the internet and interacting on social media, they are exposed to a lot of information , this is why it is important for people who post content on sexually transmitted diseases to post the right information, so they dont misinform their readers, STI's or STD's should be taken seriously as they can escalate to chronic diseases if not treated properly sometimes it can lead to death. this was such a good read, looking forward to more articles like this .
ReplyDelete