Sexually Transmitted Diseases: What Do I Risk With a Kiss? Mistakes and Fakes of the Youngest

But is it true that AIDS is transmitted by a kiss? And can mosquitoes infect me? What is the risk if I share a drink? These are some of the questions that are still being asked by young people to the AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections Helpline (IST) of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, which turns 38 on June 20. It is a sign of profound misinformation on the origin not only of HIV but also of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia, which makes boys and girls vulnerable. And the data on the spread of sexually transmitted diseases throughout Europe are worrying. In the last 10 years, the number of cases of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia has increased by 100%, 321% and 13% respectively, according to data recently published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which is raising the alarm precisely on the young age group.

“In many cases, young people are poorly informed about these diseases, especially about the ways in which they are transmitted,” emphasizes Anna Colucci , head of the Psycho-Socio-Behavioral Research, Communication and Training Unit of the Infectious Diseases Department of the ISS. “They express fear that a kiss could transmit HIV infection or that mosquitoes and insects could act as a vehicle, they wonder about the risks of sharing a drink or food or going to a public bathroom.” Young people cannot be guaranteed to have the correct amount of knowledge about the real ways in which sexually transmitted diseases are transmitted.

In a research, the experts focused their attention on the last three years, from June 2022 to June 2025, a period of time in which one call in 10 came from people under 25, with peaks in particular in the 20-24 age group.

Around 10,000 questions were asked, 4 out of 10 of which related to the methods of transmission of HIV and other STIs and 3 out of 10 to access to diagnostic tests and dedicated facilities in the area.

"The Aids and Ist Green Telephone - continues Colucci - pursues the objective of adding important pieces of knowledge in this age group, as well as awareness of risky behaviors. In the face of the many young people who call, there are large segments of the young population who do not know about this information opportunity offered free of charge and anonymously: the real challenge is to intercept them".