Ireland is currently going through a gonorrhea outbreak and now the health department is telling its citizens to be smart when looking for a cuddling buddy during this cold and festive season.
The months of January, February, and March usually see a big increase in STDs and STI detections says Dr. Dominic Rowley who works for St. James’s Hospital in Dublin.
With all the parties that happened in the month before, with holidays like Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Days, and with those months being designated cuddle-buddy months, we can see why.
But, it seems that this year is especially bad with STD detections.
“There is currently an outbreak of gonorrhea both in Ireland and worldwide, with 78 million people infected every year,” says Dr. Rowley.
“If the proper precautions are not taken, and if you don’t seek treatment after risky behavior, the consequences can be serious,” Rowley says.
“Chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause infertility if left untreated and diseases like HPV can lead to painful genital warts that can be slow to cure.”
Remember folks that even if you’re out having fun, or indoors having fun, to always use protection. Also, even though PrEP counts as protection towards HIV, it doesn’t protect from other STDs.
Have a happy, and healthy, holiday season everyone!
h/t: Queerty
