Bloody, cloudy discharge, swollen genitals, painful blisters and genital warts are symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Despite many STIs being treatable, society makes you feel like it is the end of the world. (Image: Amelia Hegarty)
By Amelia Hegarty| @amelia_heg
Erica Cobbs* was extremely cautious when it came to her sexual health and safe sex practices. She would insist on her partners using a condom and would have an STI test done every three months.
Her understanding was protection and regular testing would be enough to prevent the spread of an STI.
“I was using protection at all costs,” Cobbs says.
“I was talking to my partners… I was always very safe.”
But limited sex education in her schooling and the use of Google and porn as a tool for sex education clouded Cobbs’ understanding and awareness of true safe sex.
“My sex ed was MITIOG — made in the image of God,” she says.
“My only education of it was abstinence, right? Just don’t have sex. Don’t do it and you’ll be fine.”
She was 22 years old when she began experiencing blood in her urine and a slight discomfort that had her concerned. And when she received a text message informing her that her partner had tested positive for chlamydia, the realisation set in that this wasn’t a slight bleed, some irregular spotting or something to be ignored.
It was an STI.
ABC News reports that in recent years, STI rates in Australia have “quietly but steadily” increased and, in 2024, positive tests for chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhoea tripled.
With this surge comes stronger medication-resistant infections that are harder to treat and easier to transfer.
Even with more accessible testing opportunities, including anonymous clinics and at home testing kits, infections rates continue to climb.
Alison Bruer from Sexual Health Information Network and Education South Australia (SHINE SA) says barriers to healthcare, sexual health services, inclusive sex education and unrealistic expectations are contributing to these rising rates.
“STI rates are rising among young people in SA… there are gaps in what people know.”
It can put individuals at risk for STIs, unplanned pregnancy, sexual harm or trauma. It can be both physically and emotionally impactful as feelings of “shame, anxiety, or confusion… can impact confidence, relationships, and how people see themselves in the long run.”
“So many people feel confused — especially with all the mixed messaged flying around from family, culture, social media, and beyond,” Bruer says.
Cobbs felt instant fear and shame when she first received the text message saying she would need to be tested.
“I immediately panic[ed] … I was terrified… there was a lot of shame.
“I had the preconceived notion that people who have STIs are dirty and frivolous with their health and safety and… I did not put myself in that box whatsoever,” she says.
Cobbs says she just wanted it to go away.
“You don’t want to talk about it, but you can’t not talk about it because you need to get it solved.”
ABC News suggests social stigma is a deterrent for testing and a factor in rising rates as “stigma surrounding STIs can dissuade someone from seeking medical care.”
Sexologist Jamie Bucirde says how society looks at sex and the body conveys negative messages about a very natural human experience.
“[It] is fear based. Don’t get an STI, don’t get pregnant, don’t sleep around,” Bucirde says.
Safe sex is important but current sexual understanding is ingrained with “negative messaging, whereas sex [education] can be so much more than just preventative.”
“There is a lot of research out there that shows a lack of sexual education and sexual health awareness can lead to increased risk of diseases,” she says.
“Young people aren’t using condoms and other safe sex practices more than ever.”
There are still many widespread myths about STIs (Image: Amelia Hegarty)
Bruer says there are many myths and misconceptions surrounding STIs and sex. Some include the perception that STIs can only be transmitted through penetrative sex, or that only people who have multiple partners get STIs.
Another is the belief that condoms and other barriers can protect from everything. In fact, condoms and other forms of protection, while still effective and should be used, do not protect from some STIs including herpes or human papillomavirus (HPV), which are spread via skin-to-skin contact. Bruer says areas that are uncovered by the barrier can still allow for the spread of an STI.
“It’s so important to create safe, shame-free spaces where young people can learn, ask questions.”
Likewise, Bucirde stresses “health awareness is vital for overall wellbeing, and it is extremely important to understand different areas of sexual health.”
It is linked to relationship satisfaction, higher body confidence and self-esteem, bodily autonomy, hygiene and better mental health, Bucirde says. Finding resources and organisations, like SHINE SA, can help you understand and explore your sexuality and allow you to inform yourself about safe sex.
“How we view the world and ourselves is heavily shaped by societal expectations of us… [and] society looks at sex and body confidence through a primarily negative lens,” she says.
“Sexuality, identity, relationships, consent, pleasure — they’re all part of being human,” she says.
Initially, Cobbs felt shame surrounding her diagnosis, but she came to understand that those feelings, those preconceived notions stemming from social norms and stigma.
“At the end of it, I took one pill and seven days [later]… it was done.”
Cobbs says she also confided in a friend and to her mum who both expressed that everything would be okay and that all they would need to do is go to a clinic and receive some further advice.
And if she were to experience a similar situation in the future, she feels she would be more prepared and equipped to deal with it.
So, despite initial beliefs and what society conveys, it was, in fact, not the end of the world.
SHINE SA is an organisation that provides inclusive and informative services and programs of sexual and reproductive health, management of STIs and blood-borne viruses, counselling, pregnancy testing and contraception.
With clinics on Adelaide’s Hyde Street and in Woodville, SA, SHINE SA fosters inclusive conversation on safe sex and the importance of providing services free of judgement.
For more information, you can explore free resources, ask anonymous questions, or find a SHINE SA clinic near you at www.shinesa.org.au or follow SHINE on Instagram and TikTok. Call the SHINE SA Sexual Healthline on 1300 883 793 for confidential, friendly advice. No shame. Just facts, support, and choice — on your terms.
*Name has been changed for anonymity