Breaking the chain before popping the bubble

Chris Marshall Reporter from Taupō Times

Lakes DHB Infectious Disease and Sexual Health Physician Dr Massimo Giola says the lockdown for Covid-19 presents a once in a lifetime opportunity to minimise the transmission of serious sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Dr Giola says if people have been serious about Alert Levels 4 and 3, they should not have had sex in six weeks with anyone outside their bubble.

“If people get tested for all STIs now; before social (and sexual!) interaction resumes and they pop the bubble open, we have a serious chance of diagnosing and treating STIs before they are passed on. We might not be able to eliminate STIs and HIV, but we have a serious chance of flattening their curves,” he says.

Dr Giola says 56 Dean Street in Soho (United Kingdom) the biggest sexual health clinic in the UK has seen an 80 per cent fall in gonorrhoea cases and requests for PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis – antiretroviral drugs taken after unprotected sexual intercourse to prevent the acquisition of HIV) under lockdown in London. Now they are calling for everyone to get tested before they resume casual sex, to break the chain of transmission.

Dr Giola encourages the public to contact their GP for an STI check, or to call the sexual health clinic for an appointment if they are uncomfortable about speaking to their GP.

In Taupō individuals can contact 0800Anamata 0800 262 6282.