18-24 year olds:

62% of 18-24 year olds have had unprotected sex, yet despite nearly half (44%) of people in this age group being concerned about getting an STI after unprotected sex, 60% of single 18-24 year olds have never had an STI test.

70% of young adults (18-24) are not always happy to use a condom whilst having sex because they “are annoying and ruin sex” (37%) and “they don’t feel good” (27%). What’s worrying is that nearly a quarter (22%) of young adults have no concerns about having unprotected sex and 62% believe that children are not taught enough about STIs in school.

It appears that peer pressure is the biggest thing preventing young adults from talking about STIs, with a third admitting they are most afraid of their friends judging them. More than 1 in 10 young adults have regretted having unprotected sex and 23% would not want to tell someone they had an STI through fear of being considered sexually promiscuous.

45+

81% of single people over the age of 45 have never had an STI test and worryingly, only 3% of over 45 year olds in the UK had an STI test before sleeping with their new partner.

80% of people over the age of 45 realise that STIs are caused by lifestyle choices compared with only 64% of 18-24 year olds. However, only 6% of this older generation worry about STIs, with 53% associating sex with fun.

A quarter (24%) of people older than 45 had unprotected sex before their current relationship and did not have an STI test before their new partner and 77% of people in this age range claim that they are not always happy to use a condom.