S-T-I-Q Day 2011 - 14th January

Jan. 12, 2011 - PRLog -- 11th January 2011
PRESS RELEASE
Quietly Caring or Just Plain Cowardly?
S-T-I-Q Day Marked by Launch of Anonymous Notification Service

Whilst it may not be news that STIs are rampant, one of the supporters of S-T-I-Q Day has taken a new step to help stop the spread of STIs by introducing an Anonymous Notification Service for clients to notify past or current partners if  they test positive for STIs. The STI Clinic (www.thesticlinic.com) will launch the service to tie in with S-T-I-Q Day which returns on Friday 14th January.

S-T-I-Q Day is an initiative devised to promote awareness of the serious issue of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), encouraging people to get tested and, if needed, treated for STIs.  S-T-I-Q Day is supported by Terrence Higgins Trust (www.tht.org.uk), NAT (National AIDS Trust) (www.nat.org.uk), Freedom Health (www.freedomhealth.co.uk), Mate’s Skyn (www.matesskyn.co.uk) and The STI Clinic (www.thesticlinic.com).

The date for S-T-I-Q Day was chosen as it is two weeks after New Year’s Eve and one month before Valentine’s Day; since it takes 14 days for most infections to become detectable, this is the optimum time to test and treat someone, meaning people should have received the ‘all clear’ before embarking on another romantic evening.

A range of recent statistics show why initiatives such as S-T-I-Q Day and the Anonymous Notifications are necessary:

•   Over a quarter of young people have had sex with a stranger they met in a bar1
•   Nearly 50% of people in the UK dislike using condoms1
•   Around 50% of men and 70% of women with chlamydia have no symptoms
•   One in ten 15-24 year olds diagnosed with an STI last year will become re-infected within a year
•   There were almost 12,000 more cases of STIs reported in 2009 than 2008

Robert Mackay, Managing Director of The STI Clinic (www.thesticlinic.com) and the instigator of the Anonymous Notification Service explained the reasoning for launching the service, “It takes a brave individual to phone a sexual partner and suggest an STI test and we know that some patients test positive and never inform partners. While we cannot insist that patients do the right thing, we can make it easier for them. We offer this service only to people who test positive for an STI through our clinic and we regulate it to avoid abuse. We accept that anonymous notification isn’t ideal but it is better than keeping quiet.”

Deborah Jack, Chief Executive of NAT (National AIDS Trust), comments: ‘S-T-I-Q Day is an important opportunity to bring much needed attention to the often uncomfortable issue of STIs.  The apathy amongst people in the UK towards getting testing for STIs is extremely worrying and NAT urges everyone to ensure they get tested if they feel they’ve put themselves at risk of an STI, including HIV.’

For more information about S-T-I-Q Day, please visit www.stiq.co.uk and for more information on Anonymous Notification please visit www.thesticlinic.com

- ENDS -
For more information on STIQ Day please contact Rachel Clayton at ENS on 020 7934 9031 / Rachel@ensltd.com
EDITOR’S NOTES: more information and images are available on request. Medical spokespeople are available for comment or interview. Please see below for an overview of the four main options for testing.
•   NHS Screening /Local GP: People registered with a GP can make an appointment and ask to be tested for Chlamydia. Usual prescription charges apply
•   Genito-Urinary Medicine Clinics (GUM): GUM clinics offer both HIV and STI testing along with advice and support as well as information about all aspects of sexual health.  GUM clinic services are free, confidential and can be anonymous if required. However since most operate a ‘drop in’ service, visits can be time consuming and appointments can be hard to get.
•   Online Testing: This is the fastest growing method with www.theSTIclinic.com being the market leader. Tests and treatment are available online / by post and are quick – it can take as little as a few days to register, get tested and treated - but there is a small charge levied for the service.
•   Community Testing: Terrence Higgins Trust has set up “Fastest clinics” all around the country. Each clinic offers particular tests targeted at the needs of local communities, including tests for Gonorrhoea, Chlamydia, Syphilis, Hepatitis, HIV or a full sexual health screening

1 Survey of 1,102 males and females aged 16-30 across Europe by Entertainment Media Research on behalf of Mates Skyn, October 2009.