Warning as ‘STIs set to surge’ over festive period
Experts issue Christmas STI warning and urge caution over asking AI for help
- Health experts predict a surge in sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) after the Christmas period, with retail data indicating a significant increase in demand for chlamydia treatment in early January.
- A new survey reveals that two in five (38%) people in the UK aged over 16 are turning to AI chatbots for sexual health advice, with millennials and men being particularly prone to this trend.
- Research found that while many AI responses were accurate, chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini provided incomplete or misleading information for critical conditions such as chlamydia and bacterial vaginosis.
- Medical professionals, including Dr Zara Haider, warn that relying on AI for sexual health advice risks misinterpretation, false reassurance, and delayed care, urging people to seek help from trusted services.
- Both the NHS and OpenAI emphasise that AI chatbots are not a substitute for qualified clinicians and should not replace trusted, clinically verified sources for health information.