Online STI kits double testing uptake in young people, study suggests

Offering e-STI kits alongside existing sexual health services could improve testing rates, research indicates

Offering young people testing kits for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) over the internet almost doubles testing uptake compared with inviting them to a clinic, research suggests.

In 2016 alone there were more than 417,000 diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections in England, including gonorrhoea and chlamydia, with rates of STI diagnoses generally higher among young people. While the use of condoms can help to prevent the spread of STIs, a recent survey found that nearly half of under-25s questioned did not use one when having sex with a new partner.