Project hosts Geraldton youth sessions on sexual health and relationships as gonorrhoea spikes in region

A sex education project will visit Geraldton to educate young people on safe sex and healthy relationships after it was revealed gonorrhoea cases had risen by 35 per cent in the Mid West region. On October 14-16, Youth Educating Peers Project will visit Geraldton to deliver educational sessions to youth aged 12-25 and professional development courses for youth workers, focused on youth sexual health and healthy relationships. According to the Department of Health, cases of gonorrhoea rose 35 per cent in the past year in the Mid West. There were 85 cases in 2022-23 and 115 cases in 2023-24. YEP Project co-ordinator Zoe Sullivan said sexually transmitted infections and bloodborne virus were most commonly transmitted in young people aged 15-29 across WA. “As we know, and what the trends are in the regions, we suspect it to be higher because of undertesting,” Ms Sullivan said. One of the barriers preventing testing in the regions was the fear of a lack of confidentiality, she said. “It’s important for your health and your partner’s health to get tested. All health professionals do have confidentiality and even if you know someone in the hospital they won’t share your tests.” The sessions will discuss how to know the signs of abuse and the risks of online dating, as well as empowering youths and professionals to speak about sexual health openly. Professionals can register for the professional development session being held at Ngala, while schools and youth services can register to hold youth workshops. Ms Sullivan said youth services and schools in the region were concerned about youth being in unhealthy relationships and the growing online dating scene. “We talk about the early signs of abuse and what power and control looks like, online and in real life,” she said. “We want to make sure that’s something we are covering because we know young people are online as much as they are communicating in real life.” To find out more about the YEP Project, visit yacwa.org.au