Women urged to self-test as STI infections climb

Shame, stigma and outdated sentiments about women's sexual wellness are contributing to a growing crisis around increasing rates of sexually transmitted infections and a decline in testing.

STI rates have surged across Australia by 46 per cent over the past decade, with untreated cases of common infections such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea leading to serious health consequences.

There were almost 110,000 confirmed chlamydia cases in 2023 and women made up nearly 70 per cent of notifications.

Gonorrhoea was the second most common STI with more than 40,000 cases, half of which were people aged 15-29.

But health experts warn the true number of infections is likely to be far higher, as thousands of cases go undiagnosed each year due to mild or absent symptoms and a lack of testing.

Analysi