With concerns about the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, such as the number of people infected with syphilis reaching about 13,000 last year, NHK conducted an online questionnaire asking about awareness of sexually transmitted diseases.


About 1 in 3 people said that they should be careful when having sex to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, and experts say, ``This may be a manifestation of low awareness of sexually transmitted diseases.''

NHK, jointly with Professor Takashi Kawana of Nihon University School of Medicine, conducted a survey on sexually transmitted diseases from the 22nd to 26th of last month, targeting about 10,000 men and women aged 18 to 59 who have registered with an Internet research company. A questionnaire survey was conducted, responses were obtained from 4650 people who have experienced sexual activity, and the results were analyzed after statistical correction based on the census data.



Of these, in the question "Please select all the things you should be aware of when having sex," multiple answers


were


given


. Prevention” was 35.5%, and


about 1 in 3 people said they were careful about preventing sexually transmitted diseases.



Also, in response to the question, "Have you ever had a sexually transmitted disease?"


84% of the respondents answered "No," while


▽ 2.9% answered "Multiple times"


and 8.3% answered "Only once."


▼A total of 11.2%, or about 1 in 9 people, answered that they had been infected.



To the question, "Have you ever been worried that you might have been infected with a sexually transmitted disease?"


79.3% of the respondents answered "no," while


20.7% answered "yes." bottom.



We asked those who answered that they had ever had an infection or were worried, ``How did you deal with being infected with a sexually transmitted disease, or when you were worried that you might have been infected with it?'' In the question, with multiple answers,


more than half of the respondents, 53%, answered that they had "visited a medical institution," while


▽18.6% answered that they had consulted with a sexual partner.


▽ 15.6% answered that they did nothing.



According to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, the number of people infected with syphilis reported from all over the country last year was about 13,000, which is the highest since we started collecting statistics using the current method. Sexually transmitted diseases such as these are also on the rise, and there is concern about their spread.



Professor Kawana, who jointly conducted the survey, said, ``I think there is a tendency to be less aware of sexually transmitted diseases and to take them lightly. If that happens, the diagnosis and treatment will be delayed, and the aftereffects will be especially severe for women.