New campaign encourages safer sex and regular STI testing
New campaign encourages safer sex and regular STI testing
20 July 2026
Western Australians are being encouraged to practise safer sex and make testing for sexually transmissible infections (STIs) a regular part of their health routine as rates of gonorrhoea and syphilis remain high across the State.
The HealthySexual campaign runs from 20 July to 30 September 2026 to raise awareness of gonorrhoea and syphilis and encourage people to take simple steps to protect their sexual health. The message is simple: Use condoms. Get tested. These two steps can help protect your health, your partners and the wider community.
STIs are passed on through unprotected sexual contact. This includes vaginal, oral and anal sex, and skin-to-skin contact. Anyone who is sexually active can get an STI regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation or relationship status. Many people who have an STI don’t have symptoms and could pass it on to others without realising.
Even without symptoms, some STIs can cause lifelong health problems, including infertility, if they are not diagnosed and treated early. Syphilis during pregnancy is a particular concern, as it can be passed to the baby during pregnancy and birth and lead to serious health outcomes. Frequent testing and using protection are the most important ways to stop the spread of infection and the long-term health impacts of STIs.
Free online chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing is available at Get the Facts (no Medicare required).
To learn more about STIs, testing and prevention, visit HealthySexual.