Sex Issues

According to Government statistics about 52% of all women aged 16- 49 are using at least one method of contraception the most popular being the pill. About 25% of women are using this method and about 23% of women are using the male condom. The use of both of these types of contraception is highest amongst younger women and falls with age. The figures tend to suggest that at least 33% of women aged 16-24 are using a male condom and the use of condoms tends to fall off after the age of 25, whilst women aged 18-29 are most likely to use the pill. It is more likely for sexually active younger age groups to use condoms, to prevent pregnancy but it is surprising that approximately 65% of both sexes are not influenced by what they have heard about HIV, AIDS and other STI's.

Men who have sex with men remain the group at the greatest risk of getting infected with HIV in the UK . Throughout the 1990s, there were modest falls in the number of new diagnoses among men who have sex with men, except in 1996 when multi-antiretroviral therapy first became widely available and the advantages of early diagnoses became clearer. Estimation of current HIV incidence rate among men who have sex with men is difficult. The often long period of time between the infection and diagnoses can make predicting the incidence rates hard. Also, some of the new infections will have occurred abroad either in the course of travel or before moving to abroad. The great majority of new infections in this risk group will, however, have been acquired in the UK , and there are indications of rises in behaviors associated with increased risk among men who have sex between men in the UK . As the end of Sept 2003, 30,465 men who have sex with men have been diagnosed with HIV.

The number of heterosexually acquired HIV infection diagnosed in the UK has risen hugely over the last 15 years. In 1999, for the first time, the rate of heterosexually acquired infections diagnosed in the UK overtook the rate of new HIV infections in men who have sex with men, diagnosed in the UK . During 2002, there were 2,199 reports of heterosexually acquired HIV and the total of 19,988 at the end of September 2003. The HIV infection rates are high in African communities, where often one or both of the partners have acquired the infection in Africa rather than in the UK . Of the individuals who have progressed to AIDS, a much higher proportion of those infected heterosexually than those men infected through having sex with other men, had their infection recognised at around the time of developing an AIDS defining condition. To estimate the transmission of HIV in the UK through heterosexual activity is difficult. Some transmission occurs from those at risk of HIV (injecting drug users, bisexual men, hemophiliacs), but these routes have not made a large contribution to reported infections to date are unlikely do so in the future. Among heterosexuals as among Men who have sex with men, there are markers of increases in behaviors associated with raised HIV risk. Reports of gonorrhea, an indicator of unprotected sexual intercourse, in heterosexual STI clinic attendees doubled between 1995 and 2000.

Traditionally for the younger element of our society the choice is passed on – ‘It's okay - my boy/girlfriend will sort it out . . . ..' The truth is that there is still a stigma or embarrassment attached to condoms, where you purchase them, where you carry them, will my mother of father find out? There is a common realisation that the pill offers more protection to pregnancy but clearly does not reduce your chances of contracting a sexually transmitted infection.

Statistically the sex between men section of the Gay community traditionally suffered the highest risk of infection but now are strongly aware of the dangers of unprotected sex and probably most aware of the specific details of HIV/AIDS. Their particular orientation is a part of modern society, and is respected as such, indeed common ground and knowledge leads to an active use of condoms in order to protect themselves.

The heterosexual community are now the group, which seem to be ignoring all the information currently available and have developed into the fastest growing faction.

Condoms are the common denominator, and if used correctly are condoms are about 94% - 97% effective at preventing pregnancy and they're nearly 100% effective at preventing transmission of HIV. This lead Swanky or Spanky Limited to develop alternative underwear and other ideas to make condoms more available and accessible to users when they require them, increase awareness of the dangers of non-use, thereby enhancing public health generally in all walks of life.

In England , there are nearly 90,000 conceptions a year to teenagers; around 7,700 to girls under 16 and 2,200 to girls 14 or under. Roughly three-fifths of conceptions (5,600) result in live births. Although more than two thirds of under 16's do not have sex and most teenage girls reach their twenties without getting pregnant, the UK has teenage birth rates which are twice as high as Germany, three times as high as in France and six times as high as in the Netherlands.

We at Swanky or Spanky believe that knowledge is a very weak determinant of behavioral change. What we are trying to say, it's a step in the right direction to give people knowledge, but what we also have to do is create environments that enable people to act on that knowledge. What we are aiming for is to create experiences for people where they are able to take control of their health and strengthen communities, and to respond in positive ways to that fundamental purpose of life, reducing the risks to themselves or others.

Our unique concept of producing underwear specifically directed at persons aged between 16 – 34yrs, with a condom pocket as a part of our designs, is aimed at making the use of condoms easier and more fashionable. It would be appropriate to place a condom in the pocket because this is the very reason a person would purchase the product, enhancing at a very early stage, the concept of safe sex, and keeping it in the minds eye. The whole idea is centered on having a condom with you in a safe and secure place easily available at that “intimate moment” thereby increasing the likelihood that it will be used.