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How safe is your sex life? Rate your sexual health here

See how you compare to other readers in The Health Check with Irish Life Health.

NO MATTER WHO YOU choose to have in your bed, how often or what you get up to, most of us humans are fascinated by sex – but it can be a part of our health that we don’t give as much attention to as others.

According to the experts, we’re having less sex on average than previous generations, think about it a lot less than the fabled ‘every 15 seconds’ (about once or twice an hour if you’re a man and more if you’re a woman) and our sex education is in need of a major overhaul.

But what do you make of it all? We’ve asked you about your habits around eating, parenting and stress and in the latest installment of The Health Check with Irish Life Health, we want to hear about your experience between the sheets.

So, do you find it a bit awkward to talk to new partners about safe sex? Do you dread having to go to the doctor to discuss anything below the waist? How does alcohol factor into your habits in bed? Tell us by rating each of the questions below.

TELL US

How satisfied are you overall with your sexual health (your physical and mental wellbeing in relation to your sexuality), 10 being very satisfied?

6

BE HONEST

On a scale of 1-10, how much do you worry about your sexual health, 10 being a lot?

6

DOCTOR'S ORDERS

 

How likely would it be that you’d visit your GP for problems around your sexual health (e.g. lack of desire, erectile dysfunction, pain during sex), 10 being very likely?

6

While the number of teen pregnancies in Ireland has fallen by 64%, STIs such as HIV and syphilis are unfortunately on the rise, particularly among gay men. And some experts are worried about the spread of super-gonorrhea. So, what are your protection habits? Are you clean test-insistent or do you just hope for the best? Let us know below.

WRAP IT UP

 

How likely would you be to practice safe sex in a new sexual relationship, 10 being very likely?

6

PILLOW TALK

How easy do you find it to talk about contraception/safe sex with a new partner, 10 being very easy?

6

DRUNK IN LOVE

How likely is it that alcohol has affected your decisions around sexual activity or safe sex in the past, 10 being very likely?

6

While it’s not always realistic to expect that everyone is 100% safe in every single sexual encounter they have in their lives, seemingly harmless behaviour can in fact be putting our health at serious risk. So, where do you go for help when you’re worried? Is it straight to Dr Google or into your local STI clinic just for peace of mind? Tell us below.

DETECTING INFECTION

 

How confident are you that you’d recognise the symptoms of an STI, 10 being very confident?

6

CLEAR COMMUNICATION

How easy would you find it to talk to your GP about your sexual health, 10 being very easy?

6

SYMPTOM SEARCH

On a scale of 0-10, how likely would you be to seek information from the internet if you were worried about your sexual health, 10 being very likely?

6

LUMPS AND BUMPS

How likely would you be to regularly check your body (e.g. breasts or testicles) for signs of changes, 10 being very likely?

6

Read more from The Health Check: 

From sleepless nights to screen time: Share your experience of being a parent here

Are you chilled out or burned out? Rate your stress levels here

Fighting a yawn or feeling refreshed? Rate your sleep here 

Over the past few months as part of The Health Check, we’ve been capturing a snapshot of our health as a nation with Irish Life Health. We’ll be compiling anonymous, real-time ratings and talking to experts about the results and what they mean for our health. We know Irish Life. We are Irish Life Health.

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