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Home / Lifestyle

You've slept with more people than you think - use the calculator to find out

Daily Mail
17 Sep, 2015 01:41 AM4 mins to read

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Experts urge people to use condoms and have regular STI tests. Photo / iStock

Experts urge people to use condoms and have regular STI tests. Photo / iStock

For many couples the difficult conversation will arise at some point early on in their relationship - how many people have they each slept with.

Now, a new survey reveals the average Brit has done the deed with nine people.

But experts today warned, that though the average number of sexual partners is nine, it means you could have been "sexually exposed" to almost four million people - if you didn't use condoms.

Using their Sex Degrees of Separation calculator, LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor estimate those indirect sexual connections could total 3,917,918.

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TO USE THE CALCULATOR CLICK HERE

Sexual health experts told MailOnline though it is not a diagnostic tool, the calculator, which draws on the theory of six degrees of separation, is designed to outline the importance of people ensuring they have regular STI tests.

LloydsPharmacy's Online Doctor, Dr Gigi Taguri said: "Your risk of being exposed to an STI increases exponentially with each new partner.

"But importantly it's not just your direct partners that you have to worry about, but your partners' partners, and their partners' partners, and so on.

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"They are indirect sexual connections.

"Additionally, even after using condoms you are still exposed to several types of STI including genital warts and herpes, often through skin-to-skin contact, oral sex and sex toys as well as penetrative sex.

"So the key message is not just to practice safe sex, but also to get regularly tested for STIs."

The results also reveal how one in three people admit they don't always use protection when having sex with a new partner, with more than 53 per cent blaming alcohol.

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To coincide with Sexual Health Week, this week, the pharmacy has revealed their online calculator, allowing people to input their number of sexual partners, and discover the number of people they've been "sexually exposed" to, indirectly.

One in six people have never had an STI test because they "don't see the point".

Meanwhile the survey, of more than 6,000 sexually active people, reveals the older you are, the less likely it is that you have been tested.

Eighty-six per cent of men over the age of 40 have never had an STI test, according to a recent study.

And the statistics suggested young people could be in need of more sex education classes, with one in five 16 to 19 year olds believing condoms protect against pubic lice.

Perhaps unsurprising, the survey also suggests than many people lie about the number of sexual partners they have had.

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One in 10 men and women lie, with some admitting to higher, while others lower their true figure.

But sexual health experts said one of the most shocking statistics suggests that one in five people, who have had an STI, did not tell their past partners, therefore increasing the chance of spreading their infection.

Dr Taguri said it is vital that everyone uses condoms when having sex.

"Whether you regularly engage in casual sex or just haven't had an STI test before, ensuring you always have condoms means you will be protected against the risk of the most common STIs.

"If you find a sore, blister, lump or bump in your intimate areas. you can also now have it diagnosed by one of the LloydsPharmacy's GMC registered doctors without having to see a doctor face to face."

The GP photo assessment service allows you to simply take two good quality photographs, upload them online and receive a confidential response within 24 hours.
The online calculator helps demonstrate how far STIs can spread if people do not wear condoms.

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The tool can determine the number of direct and indirect sexual connections you've had, based on the theory of six degrees of separation.

By entering just a few details about your sexual history, the calculator works out how far your sexual encounters spread.

The calculator is not a diagnostic tool, but by understanding how many people you have indirectly been exposed to highlights your risk of contracting an STI.

- Daily Mail

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