A new study finds that residents of the Great White North are among the most STI anxious folks in the world.
During the age of coronavirus, many concerned individuals sought medical advice via the Internet, often self-diagnosing rather than seeing a doctor. But this isn't an entirely new trend.
Scores of worried people have ventured onto the world wide web for virtual health tips for years instead of visiting a health physician. However, self-diagnosing isn't always safe—particularly if you think you have a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
Men’s health platform Manual has revealed which countries are the most worried about STIs around the world. The team used data from Worldometer and ahrefs to discover which countries are the most STI anxious by comparing search results on Google for answers about different infections.
Topping the list as the most anxious country is Australia with over 10 per cent (12.76%) of its population turning to Google per year for STI-related questions. The company comments that "comes as no surprise as [16 per cent] of Australians reported having an STI in their lifetime."
The United States followed in a close second, with 10.49 per cent of the population in the United States searching queries online. In the U.S., around 20 per cent, or 1 in 5, of the population has had an STI and nearly half of the infections are among those under the age of 24.
Report authors add: "On top of this, [89 per cent] of US citizens turn to Google before their doctor when worried about their health."
Canada claimed the third spot on the list of STI anxious countries, with 9.1 per cent of their population turning to the internet for help. Manual remarks that 75 per cent of Canadians will have had at least 1 type of human papillomavirus (HPV) in their lifetime.
Leading Clinical Sexologies Ness Cooper explains: “Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV, and syphilis are the most common STIs throughout Europe and the UK. Rates for these are higher in the USA, with Chlamydia being extremely common.
“It’s worth noting that in the USA, access to sexual health services may partly vary due to state, and STI prevalence may be higher due to a larger population overall.”
Manual used 30 countries and STI, symptoms and testing terms to find the countries searching most for STIs.
