Sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men may be at higher risk of contracting STIs.
Over half of all new HIV positive results and the majority of new syphilis infections are in men who have sex with men.
There are many reasons behind this increased risk, some of which include:
•Higher rates of infections increase the likelihood of a person coming into contact with an STI.
•Not using condoms increases the chance of getting an infection.
•Anal sex increases your risk of getting an STI, and is the riskiest sexual behaviour for exposure to HIV.
•Smaller sexual networks where STI and HIV infections can reinforce each other (each can increase the risk of contracting the other).
•The increased use of apps and online services can significantly increase the number of partners a person can have sex with, increasing the chances of contracting an STI.