A sex educator has said the high rate of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) recorded after the 2020 lockdown were delayed diagnoses due to fears of judgement over breaking Covid-19 restrictions.
Dr Caroline West, host of the sex advocacy podcast ‘Glow West’, has said that many people suffered in silence with their sexual health during lockdown when STI screening was operating at limited capacity.
She believes that many single people were reluctant to seek help for STIs they may have contracted due to concerns they would be reproached for breaking public health rules.
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“People felt either that they had no choice but to stay single or else they felt guilty. They had to sneak around if they were dating people and were worried about being judged for passing on Covid.
"People felt then they couldn’t speak up if they contracted an STI and wouldn’t get help,” Caroline said.
While the rate for overall STI transmission was lower in 2020 than in previous years, there was an increase in diagnoses reported in the aftermath of the first lockdown.
In 2021, an outbreak of syphilis also was reported in the months following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.
Caroline says that no one should have to suffer in silence with an STI, as sexual health is equally as important as one’s physical or mental wellbeing.
She believes there was little support available for single people who were struggling in this regard in the early days of Covid-19.
“I think people really struggled with loneliness during lockdown. A lot of single people felt shame if they tried to continue their dating life because we were told to keep separate from other people.
"It wasn’t that people were rushing straight back out there after lockdown ended, it’s that people finally had access to get a diagnosis,” the sexual health expert added.
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