Spanish teenagers no longer only pick up a diploma at graduation, as research reveals a quarter (25%) of adolescents will contract a STI before finishing high school. Shockingly, the data shows that half of all STI diagnoses in Spain are amongst adolescents aged 15-24.
In the last five years, there has been a startling increase in reported cases of sexually transmitted infections, including gonorrhoea (up by 303%) and chlamydia (up by 654%) across the country.
In response to this research, the world’s #1 sexual wellbeing brand, Durex, today launches a global campaign to challenge common myths and misconceptions around sexually transmitted infections and shine a light on the alarming lack of awareness and education about the issue amongst Spanish youth and young adults.
Common misconceptions amongst this group include believing that STIs can only be transmitted by strangers; that STIs exist only amongst drug users and sex workers; and even that several common STIs no longer exist. Significant work by the brand has been done to educate Spanish adolescents of the serious consequences that can result from having STIs from infertility to cancer, which many young people are strikingly unaware of.
The campaign has been launched to educate young people in Spain of the dangers they face from unprotected sex, to change behaviours around condom use and bring to life the consequences of contracting STIs; both curable and life-changing.
To encourage safe sex behaviour, Durex will reward festival-goers carrying a condom to Sonar Festival and Arenal Sound with perks including front row seats, exclusive artist meet-and-greets and VIP toilet access.
The brand will also release eight films featuring relatable young characters, which challenge young people to make unforgettable memories on amazing nights out for the right reasons, not the wrong ones that result from having unprotected sex and empower young people to take control of their choices. Durex is supporting the films with a new online platform that provides vital information on the symptoms and consequences of STIs.
Domenika Praxmarer, Marketing Director for Durex at RB Health, said: “We’re on a mission to liberate good sex – and good sex is safe sex. We want to raise awareness and create a space where young adults feel comfortable to ask questions, empowered by making unforgettable nights for all the right reasons and liberated by the idea of being protected during sex. It’s important for teenagers to feel educated and we believe our campaign is a step in the right direction to changing the commonly misheld conceptions they hold”.
Across the summer, Durex will also host a series of exclusive artist performances at its ‘Unforgettable Sessions’ and offer customers the chance to win sold-out tickets to the popular festivals though on-pack promotions.
Fans can apply for the chance to win exclusive tickets to Sonar Festival and Arenal Sound at https://www.musica-durex.es/
[i] https://aedv.es/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/NPDiaMundialJuventud.pdf
[ii] https://aedv.es/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/NPDiaMundialJuventud.pdf
[iii] Centro National de Epidemiologia. CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Publica (CIBEREDP). Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Resultados de la Vigilancia Epidemiologica de las enfermedades transmisibles. Informe anual 2014. Madrid, 2016.