“Silence does not equal a yes, and not saying no, either”: kick-off of sexual health week in Occitanie

Deux semaines de mobilisation : “Santé et sexualité, c’est le moment d’en parler”. Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

Prevention of sexually transmitted infections, contraception, consent and sexual dysfunctions: the same themes are at the heart of the national sexual health weeks, launched Monday June 3, until June 16 ;June, organized for the third year. With, in 2024, particular attention to the last two, specifies the Occitanie health agency, which coordinates 133 actions.

"It’s not always easy to clearly say what we want; this should not alter the notion of consent. A silence does not equal a yes and does not mean no either. We need to work on these issues from an early age" : if the date is now good established, the "National Sexual Health Weeks", available in Occitania and launched on June 3 for their third edition, now place particular emphasis on issues which cross society, indicates Nadège Saint-Martin, head of the prevention and health promotion division, ARS Occitanie.

There will therefore be a lot of talk about consent (80 actions scheduled in the territory) and sexual breakdown or dysfunction (29 actions), in a rich program of 133 events organized until June 16 on the ;rsquo;entire territory.

"The World Health Organization is part of a global approach to sexuality which is intended to be positive and not limited to health effects, consent is part of it, as much as the voluntary termination of pregnancy", indicates Didier Jaffre, the director of the ARS which coordinates the  ;rsquo;operation, on a "roadmap" deployed on "three axes, l& rsquo;education of young people about emotional and sexual life, access to listening devices, access to care.

"Under declaration" cases of HIV infection

One in three unplanned pregnancies in France gives rise, in 64% of situations, to an abortion; there were 21,451 in 2022 in Occitanie, up +  7 % compared to 2021.

HIV screening allowing 330 HIV discoveries in 2022, with a discovery rate of 54.4 per million inhabitants in Occitanie, more than the national average (48.2), excluding Ile-de-France.

Free screening in Occitanie laboratories

From June 3 to 16, the Regional Union of Health Professionals (URPS) Biologists of Occitanie is offering free screening for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. As part of this mobilization, the 400 medical biology laboratories in the region are extending their opening hours.

An increase in the use of screening for sexually transmitted infections, with rather stable detection figures, 102 per 100,000 inhabitants for Chlamydia trachomatis infections, 9/100,000 inhabitants for syphilis… the more "traditional" issues; public health issues linked to sexuality are not yet settled, recalls Jean-Loup Chapert, epidemiologist at Public Health France, who specifies that there is a &quot ;underreporting" cases of HIV infections. .

Methods of contraception or protection, contacts of associations and health services, addresses for performing IVGs… on its website, the Regional Health Agency refers to the actors in the field.

“At the slightest doubt, after unprotected intercourse, you must get tested”, insist the professionals. Where ? "In the CeGIDD", the free screening centers.

[#sexualité] Lancement des Semaines santé sexuelle en #Occitanie. Du 3 au 16 juin information & prévention sont au cœur de la campagne régionale. 15 jours pour sensibiliser et informer sur les enjeux d’une approche positive et respectueuse de la sexualité.https://t.co/BS5FXgw1Ov pic.twitter.com/cfgvpdH0Jr

— ARS Occitanie (@ARS_OC) June 3, 2024

Jean-Marie Peron, regional medical coordinator, also specifies that "the hepatitis A, B and C viruses can be transmitted in practices “sexual".

"We must protect ourselves", insists Didier Jaffre.

"We must get vaccinated", continues infectiologist Alain Makinson, president of Corevih on the issue of papillomavirus infections, which "can cause cervical, anal, oropharyngeal cancers… We have extremely effective vaccines", he recalls, while the campaign for the second dose of vaccine is starting in Occitanie colleges, where 6 491 middle school students have already been vaccinated.

The doctor is pleased about it: "Vaccination coverage has increased by + 50 % in both sexes, we had barely 15 % to 20 % of young people protected".