The 2024 safe sex report
Reviewed by Dr Bhavini Shah
With condom usage rapidly declining in the last decade and STI rates continuously rising, here at LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor we aim to highlight the importance of safe sex and delve deeper into the attitudes and data surrounding sexually transmitted infections and contraception.
We’ve analysed how different STIs are discussed online and which ones generate the most searches on Google. Alongside this, we’ve used NHS data to reveal the most contacted sexual health services for contraception and the most popular female contraceptive methods.
According to our latest survey of 1,000 UK adults, one in twelve (8%) report having sex daily, two in five report having sex weekly (41%) and over one in six report having sex monthly (17%). Interestingly, three in five revealed that they have been diagnosed with an STI before, with one in five admitting they never practise safe sex.
“Safe sex should be a concern for everybody. Unprotected sex puts you at risk of unwanted pregnancies and STIs. If you’re having sex, you should always consider using protection and make sure that you take regular STI tests.” - Dr Bhavini Shah
Sexually transmitted infections and diseases
The most stressful STIs
Using a machine learning algorithm, we analysed 600 Reddit threads discussing STIs. From here, we were able to highlight the most and least talked about STIs on the platform. To offer more insight, the algorithm also rated how stressful each comment was in context, giving them a score out of 10.
Our analysis showed that HIV was the most frequently mentioned and the most stressful STI discussed on Reddit, followed by herpes and chlamydia. Among the less commonly discussed STIs, syphilis emerged as the most stressful, with trichomoniasis coming next.
“HIV and herpes can be a major source of anxiety as they cannot be completely cured. There are, however, medications and treatments available to help manage these conditions. If you’re worried you could have contracted HIV in the last 72 hours, you should contact your local sexual health clinic or hospital as soon as possible.” - Dr Bhavini Shah
The STIs generating the most concern
STIs can be a major cause of anxiety for a number of different reasons. To find out more, we analysed conversations surrounding each STI to find out the varied reasons behind this anxiety. We’ve categorised these under concerns about; relationships, symptom worries, damage to health, and social stigma.
Interestingly, herpes sparks the most relationship concerns in online comments and is also associated with the highest level of social stigma. Yeast infections prompt the most symptom worries, and UTIs generate the most comments about damage to health.
“It’s very common to be anxious about contracting an STI. The most important things you can do are practise safe sex, using a barrier method, and getting regularly tested. In most cases you may be able to order an STI test online, which you can complete at home and send back via post.” - Dr Bhavini Shah
The UK's most searched for STIs in 2024
According to Google search data, the UK’s most searched for STI in 2024 is chlamydia, averaging at 76,510 searches per month, a 31% increase from its 2023 average. The STI with the second highest search volume is HIV, followed by gonorrhoea, syphilis and scabies.
Interestingly, scabies is not exclusively transmitted by sexual intercourse. While scabies is commonly spread via sex, it can also be spread through close physical contact or sharing bedding, clothes, or towels.
With so many people searching online for advice, our survey of 1,000 UK adults found that almost a third (31%) of Brits use online educational materials as their primary source of sexual health and contraceptive information (e.g. NHS pages, LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor blog posts). Worryingly, one in five (21%) still rely on the sex-ed lessons they had in school, which means they may be using outdated advice.
“While increased searches for STIs may seem alarming, it actually suggests a growing number of people are looking for advice and education. We would encourage more people to educate and inform themselves about STIs, contraceptives, and practising safe sex, using our online sexual health advice page.” - Dr Bhavini Shah
The local areas with the most searches for STIs
Looking more closely at the data, we also analysed which specific areas of the UK are searching for different STIs the most.
Norwich saw the highest searches for any STI per capita, with 201 in every 100,000 searching for chlamydia in this area. Norwich also saw the highest volume of searches for gonorrhoea and HPV.
Contraceptives and family planning
The most contacted sexual health clinics for contraception in 2024
According to NHS data, the London borough of Hackney is the most contacted sexual health service for contraception per capita, with nearly 56 in every 100,000 people using the service. The borough of Lewisham came a close second, with 54 contacts in every 100,000. Outside of London, Blackpool saw the highest number of clinics contacted for contraception at almost 52 per 100,000.
“Local sexual health clinics are available in every region in the UK; however, they aren’t your only option when it comes to contraceptive services. You can always talk to your GP about which form of contraception is right for you or starting a contraceptive. Services, like LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor, can also be a convenient way of accessing contraception online safely.” - Dr Bhavini Shah
The most popular female contraceptive method of 2024
NHS data shows that oral contraceptives are the most popular method of contraception among women in 2024, with 144,000 women accessing them through sexual health services. The second and third most popular contraceptive methods were both long-acting reversible contraceptives, including the implant with 102,000 users and the IU system with 81,000 users (also known as the hormonal coil).
According to our survey of 500 adult women, more than half (54%) said their primary reason for practising safe sex was to prevent unwanted pregnancy, however, a quarter (25%) said they do not use contraception at all.
“User dependent contraceptives may be more popular with women who want to control when and how they use birth control, whereas long-acting reversible contraceptives may be preferred by women who know they don’t want to become pregnant any time in the near future. Both methods have pros and cons and depend on individual preferences and suitability.” - Dr Bhavini Shah
Women’s contraception with the biggest increase in use from 2023 to 2024
The contraceptive patch saw the biggest increase in use between 2023 and 2024, with 33% more women opting for this method, according to NHS data. The contraceptive injection and natural family planning both saw 23% increases in use. The implant was the only method which saw a decrease in use, however this was only by 1%.
Natural family planning refers to fertility tracking and may include women using NHS services to better understand when or when not to have sex to achieve or avoid pregnancy.
Methodology
Comment sentiment analysis
Using machine learning, we were able to analyse sentiments of Reddit comments discussing STIs online. The machine learning algorithm was able to rate each STI out of 10 for indicators of stress in comments. Mentions of the STIs were also categorised into; relationship, symptom worries, damage to health, and social stigma.
Search data
Search volumes come from Google search data, accessed September 2024.
NHS data
All NHS data comes from previously reported statistics. Links to certain pages can be found in the references below.
Survey data
STI surveys consisted of 1000 UK adults. Contraception surveys consisted of 500 UK adult women. Surveys conducted October 2024.
References
https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_1105106_en.html
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sexually-transmitted-infections-stis-annual-data-tables
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/scabies/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hiv-and-aids/treatment/
