At the same time as the number of gonorrhea cases has exploded in the past year, the infected are getting younger and younger. – We have young people as young as 16 and 17 who come and receive treatment for gonorrhea, says Trine Aarvold, doctor in Sex and society. Agnes Giertsen, health nurse at the health center for youth and students in Bergen, confirms that the patients are younger. – Some are as young as 15. We also see that there are more women who are infected than before, and we are anxious about sterility. In the past, the venereal disease was most common in those in their late 20s or early 30s. Now many of the infected are still in high school. What is gonorrhea? Gonorrhea is a bacteria that infects like chlamydia. But, in addition to being infected by sexual contact with the genitals, it is also transmitted via the throat. You get infected by having sex without a condom. Gonorrhea can cause very strong symptoms and problems. Gonorrhea has its own ability to develop resistance to antibiotics. The venereal disease can cause infections that can make it more difficult to get pregnant. Source: Aarvold, Sex and society – In the shadow of chlamydia – It’s not a topic we talk about openly. Gonorrhea is somewhat in the shadow of chlamydia, says Håvard Langeland (16). He is in first grade at Amalie Skram upper secondary school in Bergen, and says that he had not heard of gonorrhea until late in the tenth grade. TOO LITTLE TALKED ABOUT: Håvard Langeland (16) says gonorrhea is not a topic they talk about openly. Photo: Valentina Baisotti / news Bergen and Vestland counties are among the areas where there are the most cases of gonorrhea. In 2022, 226 people in Vestland were diagnosed with the venereal disease. This is the highest number since the Institute of Public Health started a count. In the previous pandemic-free year, 2019, there were only 142 cases in Vestland. There is also a sharp increase in the number of people infected on a national basis. Neither Giersten nor Aarvold can answer the reason why Vestland is at the peak of infection. Both think it may be due to some environments where there is a lot of casual sex without a condom. Now they encourage parents to buy condoms for their teenagers. – Are you the parent of a teenager; buy in or have lots of condoms lying around, says Aarvold. This is something that the teenagers themselves are positive about. – For my part, it could have been a little safer if dad, who knows a little more about what he’s doing, could buy condoms, says Langeland. WANT MORE INFORMATION: Snorre Furnes (16) thinks it is strange that gonorrhea is not talked about when it is a serious venereal disease. Photo: Valentina Baisotti / news Worst at condom use – Norwegian youth and young adults are the worst in Europe at using condoms, says Giertsen. 16-year-old Dagny Kolbjørnsen Kjærstad has heard about the tendency among young Norwegians. – Almost none of the people I know use condoms in a relationship. Those who have several partners, on the other hand, use condoms more often. – How do you get people to start using condoms? – Please inform about the various diseases, and what consequences they have. It’s strange that there is little talk about it when it can be so serious, says Snorre Furnes (16). IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION: Public health nurse Agnes Giersten believes that good sex education can improve a lot. Photo: Even Norheim Johansen / news Hordaland – We are too poor at training Gonorrhea has its own ability to develop resistance to antibiotics. This worries health personnel all over the country. – The more people who get infected and the more antibiotics we have to use, the greater the probability that we will get multi-resistant gonorrhea which we cannot treat, says Aarvold. The teenagers think there is too little information about the consequences of being infected by gonorrhea. They call for more talk about sexually transmitted diseases early in sex education. – People think they have to use a condom to avoid getting pregnant, but tend to forget about venereal diseases, says Furnes. – Are you more afraid of getting pregnant than getting gonorrhea? – Yes, I think so, says Kjærstad. Aarvold in Sex and society explains that little is said about gonorrhea, because the disease was more common in the 70s. – Many people really appreciate knowing a little about it. So I think we as adults must be better at making condoms smaller. – We are too poor to provide training and information about how important condoms are. Good sex education can remedy much of this, says Giertsen. ENCOURAGES PARENTS TO BUY CONDOMS: Doctor Trine Aarvold in Sex and society encourages parents to buy condoms for their teenagers. Photo: ANNA RYDLAND NÆRUM / news
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Those infected with gonorrhea are getting younger and younger – infected as young as 15 – news Vestland
