Sexual health is one of those topics that most people agree matters — in theory. In practice, it remains one of the areas of healthcare where stigma, embarrassment, and misinformation create real barriers to people getting the support they need.
Survey data from across the UK paints a revealing picture. Despite living in an era of unprecedented access to information, significant gaps persist in sexual health education, willingness to seek help, and honest conversation between patients and healthcare providers. These gaps have consequences — rising STI rates, untreated conditions, and a pervasive sense of shame that prevents people from addressing problems that are, in many cases, entirely treatable.
This article examines what recent survey findings tell us about the state of sexual health in the UK, where the problems lie, and what we can do about them.
The Numbers Behind the Stigma
When surveys ask adults in the UK about sexual health, the responses reveal a striking disconnect between what people know they should do and what they actually do.
Consider these findings:
- Nearly 30% of adults have never discussed sexual health with a healthcare provider. Not once. Despite the fact that sexual health conditions are among the most common reasons for GP and clinic visits.
- Around 30% admit to avoiding sexual health conversations with medical professionals due to embarrassment — at least some of the time.
- 85% of respondents acknowledge that significant stigma exists around sexually transmitted infections.
- Nearly half have had sexual contact without confirming their partner’s STI status.
These are not fringe behaviours. They represent mainstream attitudes and practices across the adult population in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. And they point to a systemic problem: knowing that sexual health matters is not the same as feeling comfortable doing something about it.
Sex Education: Well-Intentioned but Incomplete
Sex education in UK schools has improved considerably over the past two decades. Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) became compulsory in all schools in England from September 2020, and similar requirements exist across the devolved nations. On paper, this is significant progress.
In practice, the picture is more complicated. Survey findings suggest that while the majority of people received some form of sex education at school, nearly half felt it covered only the basics — biology, reproduction, and perhaps a brief mention of contraception. Roughly one in five reported feeling “not at all” prepared for real-world situations by their school-based education.
This gap matters because it shapes how people approach sexual health for the rest of their lives. If your formative education on the subject was clinical, awkward, and incomplete, you are less likely to develop the vocabulary and confidence needed to discuss these issues openly — whether with partners, friends, or healthcare professionals.
The Internet as Educator
Where school education falls short, the internet has stepped in. Research consistently shows that young people in the UK learn a significant amount about sexual health online. This is not inherently a problem — there are excellent, evidence-based resources available, including from the NHS, Brook, and the Terrence Higgins Trust.
However, survey data reveals the tension in this reliance on digital information. While most people find it easier to access sexual health information online, over half acknowledge that the internet spreads substantial misinformation on the topic. Only around a quarter consider online sources more reliable than non-digital formats. The result is a generation that is simultaneously better-informed and more confused than any that came before — awash in information but uncertain which of it to trust.
The Embarrassment Barrier
Perhaps the most concerning finding in UK sexual health surveys is not what people do not know, but what they are too embarrassed to act on.
The data suggests that embarrassment functions as a significant barrier to care at multiple levels:
With Healthcare Providers
Nearly a third of adults have avoided discussing sexual health concerns with a GP or healthcare professional due to embarrassment. To be fair, over half of respondents reported not feeling judged when they did discuss these topics with a provider — suggesting the barrier is more about anticipation of judgement than the actual experience. But anticipated embarrassment is real embarrassment, and it has real consequences.
When people delay or avoid seeking help for sexual health concerns, treatable conditions go undiagnosed. STIs that could be cleared with a course of antibiotics are left to progress. Erectile dysfunction that might indicate cardiovascular risk factors goes uninvestigated. Symptoms of hormonal imbalance that affect both sexual function and broader health are dismissed as “just getting older.”
With Partners
Survey findings on partner communication are equally revealing. Nearly half of respondents admitted to having sexual contact without establishing their partner’s STI status. This is not necessarily recklessness — it often reflects the awkwardness of having that conversation, especially in new relationships. The social script for discussing STI testing before intimacy has not yet become normalised in the way that, say, discussing contraception has (and even that remains imperfect).
Around Specific Conditions
Stigma attaches to some conditions more than others. Seven in ten survey respondents identified significant stigma around erectile dysfunction, while six in ten cited embarrassment as the primary barrier preventing men from seeking treatment for premature ejaculation.
This is particularly concerning because both conditions are extremely common, often treatable, and in some cases indicative of underlying health issues that warrant investigation. Erectile dysfunction, for example, can be an early warning sign of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or hormonal imbalance. When stigma prevents men from seeking help, it does not just affect their sexual health — it can delay diagnosis of conditions that have far broader health implications.
STI Rates: The Consequences of Stigma
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows that sexually transmitted infections remain a significant public health concern. Rising rates of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis have been documented in recent years, with the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee attributing much of this trend to stigma and insufficient sexual health education.
The connection between stigma and infection rates is not difficult to trace. When people are too embarrassed to get tested, infections go undiagnosed and untreated. When they are too ashamed to disclose an STI to a partner, transmission continues. When young people receive inadequate education about STIs, they are less equipped to protect themselves. Each element reinforces the others in a cycle that benefits no one.
It is worth stating plainly: contracting an STI is not a moral failing. STIs are medical conditions caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. They are common, frequently asymptomatic, and in most cases entirely treatable. The shame surrounding them is a cultural phenomenon, not a medical one, and it actively harms public health.
Contraception: Usage, Concerns, and Gaps
Survey data on contraception usage in the UK reveals both progress and persistent challenges:
- Condoms (37%) and the contraceptive pill (21%) remain the most commonly used forms of contraception
- Only 28% reported using contraception consistently during every sexual encounter
- Primary concerns included potential side effects (32%) and pregnancy prevention effectiveness (21%)
The fact that only about a quarter of people use contraception consistently is noteworthy. This inconsistency can stem from various factors: the perceived inconvenience of condoms, side effect concerns with hormonal methods, gaps in education about long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs) such as IUDs and implants, and the reality that in the heat of the moment, planned intentions do not always translate into practice.
Side effect concerns are worth taking seriously. Many women report genuine negative experiences with hormonal contraception — mood changes, reduced libido, weight gain, and other effects that meaningfully impact their quality of life. Dismissing these concerns does not build trust. Instead, healthcare providers who acknowledge side effects honestly and help women weigh the options for their individual circumstances are more likely to support consistent and appropriate contraception use.
Relationship Stigma: The Social Dimension
Sexual health stigma extends beyond individual embarrassment into how people perceive and treat each other. Survey findings reveal that nearly a third of people would not enter a romantic relationship with someone receiving sexual health treatment, while another third expressed reservations.
This creates a cruel paradox: people who do the responsible thing by seeking treatment for a sexual health condition may find themselves penalised socially for it. Someone who addresses an STI promptly and completes treatment is medically in the clear — yet the social consequences of disclosure can be severe. It is not difficult to see how this dynamic discourages people from getting tested and treated in the first place.
Changing these attitudes requires a cultural shift in how we think about sexual health. Just as we have (largely) moved past the stigmatisation of people who seek treatment for mental health conditions, we need to extend the same understanding to sexual health. Seeking treatment is responsible, not shameful.
What Needs to Change
The survey data points to several areas where meaningful improvement is needed:
Better Education
Sex education needs to go beyond the biological basics. Young people need practical, honest information about STIs, consent, communication, sexual health services, and how to navigate real-world situations. This education should continue beyond school age — adults need access to reliable, non-judgemental sexual health information too.
Easier Access to Services
For many people across the UK, accessing sexual health services remains a barrier in itself. Long wait times at sexual health clinics, limited opening hours, concerns about confidentiality, and the perceived stigma of attending a clinic all contribute to people avoiding care. Digital and remote healthcare options can help bridge some of these gaps, offering discreet, convenient access to testing, consultation, and treatment.
Normalising the Conversation
Perhaps the most important change is the simplest: we need to talk about sexual health more openly, more often, and with less shame. This applies in healthcare settings, in relationships, in education, and in public health messaging. The more normalised these conversations become, the less power stigma holds.
Healthcare Provider Training
While most patients do not feel judged by their healthcare providers, the fact that a significant minority avoid these conversations due to anticipated embarrassment suggests there is room for improvement. Training that helps providers create actively welcoming environments for sexual health discussions — rather than simply not being judgemental — could make a meaningful difference.
Sexual Health and Wider Wellbeing
Sexual health does not exist in isolation. It is deeply connected to mental health, relationship quality, self-esteem, and overall physical wellbeing. Conditions like erectile dysfunction, low libido, and hormonal imbalance affect not just sexual function but confidence, mood, energy levels, and quality of life.
This is particularly relevant for men experiencing symptoms of low testosterone — a condition that often goes undiagnosed because the symptoms (fatigue, low mood, reduced libido, weight gain, difficulty concentrating) are easily attributed to stress, ageing, or lifestyle factors. When the sexual health component adds another layer of stigma, many men simply do not seek help.
Similarly, women navigating perimenopause and menopause frequently experience changes in sexual health — vaginal dryness, reduced libido, pain during intercourse — that are treatable but often undiscussed, even with GPs. The intersection of sexual health stigma and the wider cultural reluctance to discuss menopause openly means many women endure symptoms unnecessarily.
If sexual health concerns are affecting your quality of life, seeking professional support is a reasonable and responsible step. Explore Evernu’s clinician-led treatments for confidential, personalised care that takes your whole health picture into account.
Moving Forward: A Healthier Approach to Sexual Health
The survey data is clear: stigma, embarrassment, and inadequate education remain significant barriers to sexual health in the UK. But there is reason for cautious optimism. Awareness is growing, conversations are becoming more open, and healthcare models that prioritise accessibility and discretion are helping more people access the care they need.
The most important shift may be the simplest: recognising that sexual health is just health. It is not a separate, shameful category — it is part of the same continuum as cardiovascular health, mental health, and hormonal health. When we treat it that way — with the same matter-of-factness we bring to checking blood pressure or managing diabetes — the stigma begins to lose its grip.
That starts with each individual decision: choosing to get tested, having the awkward conversation with a partner, asking your GP the question you have been putting off. None of these things are easy, but all of them are worthwhile. And none of them should be sources of shame.
Frequently Asked Questions
How common are STIs in the UK?
STIs are very common across the UK. Hundreds of thousands of new diagnoses are made each year at sexual health clinics in England alone, with chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and genital warts among the most frequently reported. Many STIs are asymptomatic, which means the actual number of infections is likely higher than reported figures suggest. Regular testing is the most reliable way to know your status.
Where can I get free sexual health testing in the UK?
Free testing is available through NHS sexual health clinics (also known as GUM clinics) across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Many areas also offer free postal testing kits that you can order online and complete at home. Your GP can also arrange testing, though clinic services are often more convenient for comprehensive sexual health screening.
Is erectile dysfunction something I should see a doctor about?
Yes. While occasional difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection is normal and not necessarily a cause for concern, persistent erectile dysfunction warrants medical investigation. Beyond its impact on sexual health and relationships, ED can be an early indicator of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hormonal imbalance, or psychological conditions. Your GP or a specialist healthcare provider can help identify the underlying cause and discuss treatment options.
Why is sexual health stigma harmful?
Sexual health stigma is harmful because it discourages people from seeking testing, treatment, and advice. This leads to delayed diagnoses, untreated infections that can cause long-term complications, ongoing transmission of STIs, and significant psychological distress. Stigma also prevents honest communication between partners and between patients and healthcare providers, undermining both individual and public health outcomes.
How can I talk to my GP about sexual health without feeling embarrassed?
Remember that GPs discuss sexual health regularly — it is a routine part of their work, and they are trained to handle these conversations professionally and without judgement. If face-to-face discussion feels difficult, you could start by writing down your concerns beforehand, booking a longer appointment so you do not feel rushed, or requesting a GP of a particular gender if that helps you feel more comfortable. Online and telephone consultations can also feel less confronting for initial conversations about sensitive topics.
