The Better2Know Blog

A report has painted a worrying picture of the infection rates of certain STIs on the European continent.

According to the latest data from the ECDC, released on February 10, 2025, the rates of bacterial infections like Gonorrhoea and Syphilis have increased once again across the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA).

In order to ramp up efforts to end the transmission of HIV in England, the UK Government announced on 11 February 2025 £1.5 million to fund further public health campaigns.

This additional funding is aimed at increasing testing rates, reducing stigma, tackling health disparities, and raising awareness of HIV and its effects.

The Government hopes to end all transmissions of the virus by 2030. It has also announced that it will extend the national HIV prevention programme – HIV Prevention England – by a year.

Terrance Higgins Trust and local partners will deliver this campaign – organisations that carry out important work to increase testing for people disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS.

When it comes to protecting your sexual health, one of your best allies is the trusty, reliable condom. This small piece of rubber is the best way for most people to enjoy the pleasures of sex without many of the risks involved.

But condoms aren’t perfect, and there are a lot of misconceptions out there about how to use them correctly. One of the most concerning misconceptions is that people can reuse condoms.

So, why is this a bad idea? Let’s get into it.

When most people think about getting an STI, do they think about getting it twice? Probably not. But it’s possible.

One STI we should consider carefully when discussing reinfection is HPV. While many people know what HPV is and how they can get it, many don’t contemplate the possibility of getting it a second time.

Is this something you should be concerned about? Keep reading to find out!

When we talk about sexual health, it can be difficult to separate myths from facts. Some pieces of common advice remain genuinely helpful over the years. Others, less so.

One common piece of advice that often circulates is the idea that peeing after sex can help prevent STIs. But how much truth is there to this claim? Can these pesky infections be purged by peeing?

Keep reading to find out!

New terms that describe age-old human behaviours seem to pop up online every day.

While most of these terms describe largely benign behaviours, like “ghosting” and “snowmanning”, some describe behaviours that are, in fact, troubling and dangerous.

“Stealthing” is a term that comes up often when talking about new sexual encounters. Is it something you need to worry about?

Let’s find out together.

The vast majority of public knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is based on the most common infections: Chlamydia, HIV, and Gonorrhoea.

Even with these infections, misconceptions can be widespread. Better2Know is often contacted by many patients who have been given incorrect or incomplete information about these infections, leading them to mistaken conclusions that may contribute to harming their health.

A less-common infection, Trichomonas, can be even more problematic in this regard. The lack of detailed public information aboutthis infection, can sow mistaken impressions about how it spreads.

In particular, Better2Know’s phone lines have come alight with questions recently about whether someone can get Trichomonas on their own – without any sexual activity.

Is this possible? Keep reading to find out

From “ghosting” and “breadcrumbing” to “love-bombing” and “cushioning,” ingenious internet denizens are hard at work categorising new behaviours people may encounter while dating online.

Although all these new terms may have arisen in the last few years, they describe actions that have long been common among courting couples. Labelling these behaviours can help us understand confusing situations better and give us tools for responding to them.

So, what’s “snowmanning”, and how is it related to STIs?

Keep reading to find out more.

Working out in the gym can seem a lot like sex. Your heart rate’s elevated, hormones are flying all over the place, and you’re probably a bit sweaty by the end of the session.

Lots of bodily fluids get thrown around in the gym. With all these fluids flying around, some people might wonder if it’s possible to get an STI, say, from using gym equipment.

Recent concerns have appeared on social media sites like TikTok surrounding the possibility of getting STIs like Chlamydia from their gym equipment and using items like towels left on certain surfaces. These concerns seemed to focus on how some people use gym equipment without having their genitals completely covered.

So, what’s going on here? Is it possible to get an STI from gym equipment?

Keep reading to find out more.

When you think of things you want to get for the holidays, most people picture a lovely scarf, a new gadget, or a gift card to a nice restaurant.

They tend not to think about getting an STI.

However, for many people over the holidays, this ends up being the case.

The rate of STI transmission tends to rise during the festive period, between early to mid-December and the first weeks of the new year. Holidays of all kinds can lead to an increased transmission of STIs, for a variety of reasons.

But why does this happen? Keep reading to find out.

For several years, chemsex has been on the radar of public health agencies in the UK and around the world.

While chemsex itself is nothing new, more modern iterations of the practice have given rise to certain behaviours that can put participants at risk.

But what are these behaviours, and why should you know about chemsex?

Keep reading to find out.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) drew attention in May to a stark rise in the number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in many parts of the world, with more than a million new cases being recorded each day.

The problem was deemed particularly bad in the US, which has one of the highest prevalences of STIs in the developed world. Since 2000, cases of Chlamydia have doubled, and cases of Gonorrhoea have increased by 40% in the same time frame. Most startlingly, Syphilis cases increased by 400%. These cases were largely recorded in young people aged 20 to 34.

The rise of dating apps during this time has only helped exacerbate this problem, and a new study has shown how this has happened.

Don’t leave your sexual health to chance. Get a comprehensive health STI check with Better2Know’s Platinum Screen.

How dating apps can help spread STIs

The internet has created all sorts of new ways to help people court and develop new romantic relationships over the last 25 years. While early versions of dating sites were deemed the preserve of the desperate and the lonely, that all changed with the widespread adoption of smartphones in the early 2010s and the dating applications that were developed soon after, like Tinder, Bumble, OKCupid, Grindr, and others. The average person suddenly had several channels to meet new people.

A new study published in Frontiers in Reproductive Health shows how the use of such apps can facilitate the spread of STIs.

The study

In 2022, Dr Jaquetta Reeves, assistant professor at the College of Nursing and Health Innovation at the University of Texas in Arlington, and her colleagues used an anonymous online questionnaire to interview 122 young adult college students between 19 and 35 years old. The students were predominantly from northern Texas.

The students were asked if they had ever used a dating app and then invited to give information about their sexual behaviour. This information included their total number of sexual partners, how they used sexual health clinics on campus, any prior STIs, and whether they engaged in unprotected sex. They were also asked if they had met any sexual partners on dating apps, whether they were in a committed relationship, or if they were in open relationships or had “friends with benefits”.

Dating app use was more common among White (47%) than Black (12%) students, more common among men (64%) than women (33%), and more common among heterosexual people (86%) than those who identified as gay or bisexual (14%).

What did it show?

The study showed differences between students who used the apps and those who never used them:

• Those who admitted to having more than one sexual partner during the previous year were more than two times more likely to use an app for dating than those with only one partner.
• Participants who reported having sex in combination with alcohol were around 1.5 times more likely to use an app.
• Those whose first sexual encounter took place between the ages of 16 and 19 were 1.5 times more likely to use an app than those whose first sexual encounter came later.
• Students who had gotten STI testing at their campus clinic were almost 2 times more likely to use an app.
• Students who had tested positive for HIV were 33% more likely to use an app.

What does it mean?

Reeves and her colleagues concluded that there was a significant positive association between the use of dating apps and engagement in risky sexual behaviours among the students who used them. But which is the chicken, and which is the egg?

In all likelihood, the causality between risky sexual behaviours and dating app use likely flows both ways. It’s easy to find casual partners on dating apps, which can lead to risky behaviours like unprotected sex. On the other hand, people who are already engaging in risky sexual activities might use dating apps to find like-minded people.

Final thoughts

The conclusions drawn from Reeves are quite clear:

“The study highlights a significant association between dating app use and engagement in condomless sexual activity among college students. University health clinics play a critical role in providing sexual health services and can enhance their impact by expanding access to testing, contraception, and inclusive, sex-positive education. Future research should explore the long-term effects of dating app use on sexual health and evaluate the effectiveness of app-based interventions in promoting safer sexual practices.”

If you’re concerned about a recent sexual encounter you’ve had through a dating app, you can get tested with Better2Know. Browse our home test kits or book an appointment at a sexual health clinic by clicking the button below.

Get to know your sexual health with Better2Know.

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This article has been medically reviewed by Dr. Steve Chapman, 22/01/2025.

With World AIDS Day coming up on December 1, we thought we’d shine a light on the state of HIV in the world today and the progress being made fighting the infection, both in the UK and around the world.

Who hasn’t used ChatGPT? The popular large language model (LLM) has been the fastest-adopted application in the history of the internet, and hundreds of millions of people worldwide use it every day, along with AI models from its competitors like Microsoft, Google, and Anthropic. 

But what do people actually use these LLMs for? A question that becomes particularly relevant to us as Better2Know is whether people are using these LLMs to self-diagnose STIs.

It’s a fascinating topic. Read on to find out more.

Sexually active people need to be aware of another infection that could plague their sex lives.

While STIs tend to be caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites, a new pathogen has entered the arena.

What’s is this new infection? Let’s find out!

Human genitals come in all shapes and sizes. Some features of genitals may be larger, smaller, differently shaped, and come in different colours and textures.

One concern we hear from our customers is about a fairly common condition called pearly penile papules (PPP).

But what are they? Should you be concerned if you have them?

Keep reading to find out.

For the most part, sexually transmitted infections can be easily treated. The vast majority respond well to antibiotics, and most other infections can be cured with effective treatments overseen by a doctor.

But some infections are fighting back. Many bacteria are gaining an edge in the arms race between pathogens and pharmaceuticals.

And one of the bacteria that is getting an edge is one that most people haven’t even heard of: Mycoplasma genitalium.

So, what’s going on here? Keep reading to find out!

A new wave of skin rashes has taken hold of many parts of England, with university students the worst affected.

Around 3,689 cases were diagnosed in hospitals in England in the first four months of 2024, a significant rise from 2,128 cases in all of 2023.

Universities nationwide have reported students complaining of small red dots and rashes on their skin. These infections have caused considerable discomfort and distress. The infection also seems to have taken hold in many parts of the north of England.

So, what is this infection?

Young people have always had a lot of sex. For decades, public health campaigns tried to urge younger people to protect against unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections by encouraging regular testing and consistent condom use.

Many sexually active people assume that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) only affect the genital area. While symptoms like Genital Warts, unusual discharge, lesions, and chancres might prompt a visit to a sexual health clinic, STIs can also present with lesser-known symptoms.

While it may surprise some people, diarrhoea can very occasionally be a sign of an STI.

If you’re experiencing diarrhoea and think a sexually transmitted disease might be causing it, keep reading to find out more.

No one likes getting sick, and most people, if given the option, would like to avoid getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

STIs are incredibly common – millions of sexually active people contract these infections every day. And while the vast majority of infections can be cured with medication, a select few infections are permanent once you get them.

However, this fact doesn’t mean that you have to worry. Most individuals can lead happy and healthy lives if these infections are caught early and treated.

But which infections can’t be cured, and how are they treated? Keep reading as we explore the incurable STIs, available treatments, and more.

Attitudes to sexual health can differ greatly between the generations.

It’s widely known that younger people, in general, are far more open than older generations about speaking about their sexual health and seeking testing.

Bleeding from the genitals can be a deeply concerning and alarming symptom.

While many things can cause bleeding from the genitals, you may want to consider the possibility of a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Certain STIs can lead to bleeding, whether it’s between periods, during or after intercourse, or from other parts of the body. Understanding which sexually transmitted infections can cause this symptom and recognising the importance of early detection and treatment is crucial for maintaining sexual health.

This blog aims to illuminate which STIs can cause bleeding, the mechanisms behind this symptom, and the importance of seeking medical advice if you experience any unusual bleeding. By increasing awareness, we hope to encourage proactive health measures and reduce the stigma associated with STIs.

Getting tested for STIs can be very stressful, and the idea of doing it at home, while for some may be more convenient than going to a clinic, can introduce some uncertainty.

Because of this uncertainty, some people struggle with collecting a blood sample at home.

If you’re using a Better2Know Home Test Kit, here’s a step-by-step guide for taking your own blood sample.

Despite the convenience home testing offers our patients, many worry about getting the sample collection process right.

If you’ve ordered a Better2Know test that requires a urine sample, here are some easy instructions for collecting it.

A case of a new Mpox variant was recently confirmed in Sweden, linked to the growing outbreak in Africa.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the new Mpox variant has killed around 450 people in recent months.

The new variant is thought to be very contagious and causes more serious diseases.

While the variant hasn’t yet been reported in the UK, experts warn that it can spread unless international action is taken.

HeHealth’s Calmara, an app that claimed to help women identify male sexual partners with STIs by analysing pictures of genitals using AI, has been shut down after a US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation.

Many people can find getting tested at home a bit daunting. Even with all the convenience a home test kit provides, it can be hard to know if you’re doing things right.

If you’ve ordered one of Better2Know’s swab sample kits to get tested for an STI, here are some instructions on collecting a high-quality sample for your test.

In recent years, transmission rates of STIs have risen in the UK, with a troubling rise in diagnoses of Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, and Syphilis, especially in Scotland and Wales. Rises have been especially pronounced among older people.

Can changes that take place in the body during menopause make contracting STIs more likely?

Keep reading to find out.

Sexual health is an important aspect of your overall health. Maintaining it can take a lot of thought and consideration.

With STIs continuing to have profound effects on those who get them, it’s important to ensure people have the tools they need to maintain their sexual health.

Home test kits for STIs offer a safe, convenient, and accurate way for people to get a full view of their sexual health status, giving them the information they need to manage their health or get treated if required.

Here are a few reasons why home test kits are a great option for most people.