Come On New Zealanders, Get Your Bits Checked

I’m sure you’ve heard it all before, but we’re going to talk about it again because a new study has found us Kiwis aren’t so great at checking up on our nether regions. So, you wake up one morning and something doesn’t feel quite right. It’s itchy, looks a bit funny and it's maybe even painful. “Fuck, you’re kidding me.” Nah, probably not.

You’ve got an STI.

Someone should have told you by now that if you’ve found yourself in this sticky situation, you need to get your bits checked within seven days. And that, ideally, you should abstain from sex until you know you're in the clear.

Despite this, a Massey University study found over 40 percent of participants waited more than seven days to get an STI check after showing symptoms, and 22 percent waited more than a month. It also found almost a third of people with symptoms had sex after they first thought they may need to seek healthcare. And it found that females are more likely—35.9 percent—to engage in sex while symptomatic than males—26.1 percent.

This is all very risky behaviour. An untreated STI can lead to some scary stuff—pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility and harmful pregnancy outcomes, as well as increasing your chances of catching permanent STIs like HIV, which leads to AIDS. And, of course, having sex with an untreated STI poses a serious risk of transmitting the infection to others.

The majority of STIs can linger without showing any signs, which means you won’t necessarily know you have one for some time, and may spread it around by accident. So consider these itchy, unpleasant symptoms as an annoying blessing, because at least they give you a warning you need to get a test.

The good news is an STI test can be as simple as peeing in a cup or getting a quick swab test. And some of the most common ones are easily cured with a round of antibiotics. So, really, there is no reason not to book that appointment.

Family Planning New Zealand provides STI tests (and appointments are free if you're under 22—NZ residents only).You can find out more info here. The New Zealand Sexual Health Society also has a bunch of information and resources on its website.