Taipei: A pressure group backed by lawmakers from across the political spectrum has called on Taiwan’s government to tackle the increasing prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) among teenagers.

According to Focus Taiwan, at a news conference organized by the Action Alliance on Basic Education (AABE) in Taipei, alliance director Wang Han-yang called for the immediate implementation of an interagency “sexual health prevention and treatment plan” for the nation’s youth. The alliance highlighted figures released by the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that showed a more-than-sixfold increase in gonorrhea cases in boys aged 15 to 19 years old over the past decade, from 111 cases in 2012 to 756 cases in 2023.

During the same period, the number of gonorrhea cases in girls aged 15 to 19 years also rose more than eightfold, from 26 cases to 222 cases, the alliance said. While the increasing prevalence of STIs among young people is an issue faced by many countries around the world, the alliance said that it was “a matter of utmost urgency” for Taiwan.

Speaking at the news conference, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Lawmaker Lin Yueh-chin expressed hope that schools and families could educate children from a young age about the risks of STIs. Teenagers “should not be proud” of their sexual behavior, but nor should they feel “ashamed,” because not talking about it “could lead to incorrect knowledge about sex” and expose them to STIs, Lin said.

Kuomintang (KMT) Lawmaker Lo Ting-wei complained about “sexualized concepts” promoted by many online influencers and content creators and urged the government not to overlook the aspect of “social education” in addressing the issue of STIs among youth. Also speaking at the press event, Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Lawmaker Chen Gau-tzu noted that “stigma and prejudice” over STIs in Taiwanese society had prevented many people from seeking medical treatment.

“It is impossible to enforce a total ban on sex among teenagers, but they should be informed about STI prevention and contraceptive measures as early as possible,” Chen said. Established in 2014, the AABE monitors the formulation, planning, and implementation of education policies, according to the group’s website.