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Life

10th Oct 2018

We asked people this one thing about sex and the results were pretty shocking!

Louise Carroll

the one

Brought to you by ellaOne.

Unprotected sex that is.

As you may already know, we teamed up with ellaOne to conduct research that delved into the sex lives of young Irish people. We found that six in ten 18 to 24-year-olds have had unprotected sex and 33 percent have experienced contraceptive failure during sex.

This week though, we focused on the very first statistic surrounding unprotected sex. Admittedly, we found it pretty staggering, even though we or someone we know has definitely had unprotected sex.

Her’s very own Orlaith Condon went about the streets of Dublin to chat to young Irish people about the topic and we have to say, we appreciated the honesty! Lots of people it turns out are willing to admit they have had unprotected sex, even though they knew they shouldn’t have, and gave us a little bit of insight into their experience.

But one women said,

“Ireland is still very backwards. I don’t think Irish women especially understand the risks of unprotected sex.”

So could it be that we know unprotected sex is a BIG ‘no, no’ but equally we lack a true depth of understanding surrounding the risks – whether these be related to health, relationships or finances?

Could a lack of concern around risk-factors associated with sex be caused by a laissez-faire attitude or is this attitude the result of low awareness of serious consequences?

One woman stated she had never had unprotected sex, purely because she was concerned about the risks of pregnancy and diseases.

Does this mean she has a greater understanding of what life-altering consequences unprotected sex can bring? If so, how is this the case for her and not everyone else?

This week on GWG, our host Niamh Maher and her guests will be discussing all things unprotected sex, Ireland’s youth and their relationship with sex, plus why so many of us are FAR too relaxed when it comes to having fun between the sheets. Don’t miss it!

Brought to you by ellaOne.

ellaOne is an emergency contraceptive pill that is available from pharmacies without a prescription. No other morning after pill is more effective at preventing pregnancy after unprotected sex.

ellaOne consists of one tablet which should be taken as soon as possible, but no later than 5 days (120 hours) after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure. Each tablet of ellaOne contains 30 mg ulipristal acetate.  Always read the label.