I have reproduced this item from Global Health Now, with thanks.
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In South Africa, which has one of the highest rates of STIs in the world, adolescent girls and young women are at particular risk: They are more likely to have STIs than boys and men of the same age, and than older women.
Yet they are also less likely to seek or receive care due to overwhelming stigma and a lack of education, finds research published this spring in the International Journal of Sexual Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/19317611.2026.2637641
“That silence is as deafening as it is dangerous,” wrote lead study author Zoey Duby in a commentary published in Bhekisisa. https://bhekisisa.org/opinion/2026-05-04-its-burning-down-there-how-sham... [Note I was unable to access this website. NPW]
Gaps in care despite symptoms: Of ~5,000 South African girls and young women ages 15–24 surveyed by researchers with the South African Medical Research Council, many reported at least one STI symptom, with 17.5% reporting genital itching, 8.2% reporting unusual discharge, and 7.0% reporting vaginal pain or burning.
Despite these responses, just 16% had ever received an STI diagnosis.
Barriers to care include:
- Confusion and misinformation about STIs, including a belief that HIV prevention medication means condoms are unnecessary.
- Pervasive STI shame and stigma, even in consultations with health workers. In the survey itself, 22.5% of participants preferred not to disclose symptoms.
Improved education is essential: While schools are key sources of sexual health information, researchers say current lessons focus too heavily on HIV and neglect other STIs.
Researchers are urging more “all-in-one, youth-friendly” reproductive health services that combine education, contraception, and HIV prevention with STI testing.
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HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org