STIS ARE VERY COMMON.

STIs stands for sexually transmitted infections (sometimes called STDs, sexually transmitted diseases). Most of us will have at least one STI during our lifetime.

The good news? Most STIs are curable, and all are treatable.

#transgenderdayofvisibility2025 #transawarenessday #tdov

Have you heard of “the clap”? Unlike what many people believe, it does not refer to chlamydia… It actually refers to Aotearoa’s SECOND most common STI - gonorrhoea!

For many of Aotearoa’s common STI’s, including gonorrhoea, if partners haven’t also been treated re-infection can occur. Testing again at 3 months is a good way of checking whether you’re in the clear!

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Important information about gonorrhoea + treatment for hapū māmā! 🤰

Symptoms of gonorrhoea can take up to a month to appear, and unlike most STI’s, males are most likely to show symptoms ‼️ Stay tuned over the next few days for info on Aotearoa New Zealand’s second most common STI!

A bit about HPV for the boys… ❤️

Two whakataukī from a beautiful wāhine Māori, Stacey Morrison, for International Women’s Day ❤️ #internationalwomensday #iwd2025

4 facts on March 4th #hpvawarenessday !! Check out the #onelessworry website or the New Zealand HPV Project website (link in bio) for more ✨

The Gardasil vaccine is FREE for those between the ages of 9 to 27. It protects against HPV strains that cause a range of cancers and genital warts #hpvawarenessday

All about self-testing - one day before #hpvawarenessday! Self tests are super simple and just as accurate as those taken by healthcare providers

For your Sunday evening… some reading about HPV before HPV awareness today this TUESDAY!

To wrap up our herpes content, here are some quotes from the Herpes Destigmatisation Campaign. Having herpes does not define you - it’s just another virus like chickenpox or Covid. After a positive diagnosis you can and will lead a full happy life 💖

Have you heard of the NZ herpes helpline?! 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday you can speak to an experienced, non-judgemental nurse counsellor. It’s free and confidential. 0508 11 12 13 from a landline, or 09 433 6526 from a mobile ☎️🤳

Don’t listen to the misconceptions about herpes 🙅🙅‍♀️🙅‍♂️

Some tips for telling partners about having genital herpes — for most people, the fear over not telling is much worse than the telling itself 👏 If you’d like to be sent (or to download) pamphlets on all things herpes head over to the herpes NZ website. Link in our bio ‼️

Valacyclovir can be used for first episodes of genital herpes, for recurrent episodes, or to suppress the virus ‼️⚠️

To celebrate NZ being the best place in the world to have herpes we’re releasing herpes-related content all of this week… Whether it’s talking to partners about a recent diagnosis, treatment, the NZ herpes helpline, or spread - we’ve got you! Check out the link in our bio to visit our sister website all about herpes…

An exciting opportunity to join our small, dedicated team! We’re looking for someone who has experience with social media content creation and is passionate about sexual health and accessible information for rangatahi. View the full position description via the link in our bio and send in your CV and cover letter by Friday 28 February to olivia@stief.org.nz.

Get treated to prevent complications associated with untreated STI’s ✋🛑

Free STI checks for under-22’s at all Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa practices around the motu 🙌👏 If you haven’t already, take advantage of this awesome service

FYI - if you’re getting a sexual health check, let your health care practitioner know if you’re having oral or anal sex so they can provide you with the testing and treatment that’s best for you ‼️

Here’s a quote from a real person who has had chlamydia — it’s not as scary as it seems to get tested and treated 👻

Testing for chlamydia in people with a penis is easy - if you’ve got no symptoms, you just need to collect a urine sample. If there are symptoms, a swab and or examination may be required. 🍇 Anything you’re unsure about? Let us know!

Testing for chlamydia is super easy! If you have no symptoms, you can self test. If you have symptoms, the test will be done by a health care professional. It’s simple, quick, and painless. If you have any questions regarding how to test for chlamydia or testing with vaginal swabs, send them through ✈️

Chlamydia presents differently for males and females - but it’s particularly important to remember many people have no symptoms at all.🙅 If you have been told by a previous sexual partner you’ve been exposed to chlamydia or you’re unsure, put your mind at ease and get tested! ✔️

Over the next week we’ll be talking about Aotearoa’s most common sexual transmitted infection - chlamydia! 🍌 We’ll be covering symptoms, testing, and treatment… but if there’s anything else you’d like to see discussed or you have any questions you’d like answered, send us a DM 📩 or comment below 👇

Top tips as we head into peak festival season!! ✨💫 The pressure to drink (or do other things…) can be intense, but you can always take things at your own pace, in a way you feel comfortable with.

Meri kirihimete whānau - and if you’re feeling the Christmas pressure, check out the Spinoff article ‘Survive to 25 (December, that is)’🎄

Some cheeky 🍑 reminders before Christmas ☺️

Give yourself the gift of self pleasure this Christmas 🤫🙈🎄

Have you heard of kaupapa Māori methodologies? Kaupapa Māori is about thinking critically, including developing a critique of Pākehā (non-Māori) constructions and definitions of Māori and affirming the importance of Māori self-definitions and self-valuations (definition from katoa.net.nz).

We are absolutely stoked to introduce this week’s Q&A with Annah (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungungu), a registered nurse prescriber working in Flaxmere, Hawkes Bay Regional Prison, and Hastings Health Centre Urgent Care. Tēnā koe Annah - thank you for your mahi!

There are many examples of diverse Māori sexualities and expressions in pre colonial Aotearoa. Professor Ngahuia Te Awekotuku says graphic descriptions of “sexual joy” exist in waiata koroua and mōteatea which are still performed today, including explicit references to non-heterosexual sexual relations. In one lament a young man called Papaka Te Naeroa is described as, “Ko te tama iti aitia e tērā wahine e tērā tangata” (A youth who was sexual with that woman, with that man).

*Repost - spelling errors* Today on the Q&A series we are joined by the amazing Laura Gemmell, PhD candidate at the University of Otago and tauira in Māori health. We absolutely couldn’t have found a better person to interview! Tēnā koe Laura for your kōrero and incredible mahi 💛

An opportunity to contribute to some amazing mahi in the mātauranga Māori / sexual health space ❤️

Tēnā koe to the amazing Laura Gemmell for allowing us to ask many pātai about sexual health and her mahi!

I was incredibly stoked to meet Faye a couple of weeks ago at run club. I had been looking for a pelvic health physiotherapist to interview and I don’t think we could have found someone better… Thank you Faye for answering my pātai about what a consultation with a pelvic health physio entails, whether tāne can come see you, and suggestions for resources 💛 Hope to catch you soon for a run along the beach!

Thank you to the amazing Faye for being interviewed this week for the Q&A series! We ❤️ pelvic health physios!!!

*GIVEAWAY WITH ALTITUDE POLE & ANTIPODES* SO excited to announce this giveaway with the awesome Altitude Pole, for a one month membership (two classes per week), to any of the participating studios 🫢 Enter to win this awesome prize pack worth over $300 🫶 1. ✔️ Tag the friend you would be most likely to take to a pole dancing class 2. 💬 Make sure you’re following @justthefactsnz and @altitudepolenz 3. 📣 Share for an extra entry T&C’s: Competition closes Friday the 30th of August. Winner will be contacted by Instagram dm. Giveaway only open to people based in Aotearoa New Zealand. (Giveaway not endorsed, sponsored, or associated with Instagram or Facebook).

This summarises our mahi at STIEF beautifully - combatting stigma through education. Thank you Katie for your time and words 💛

We’ve asked Katie some pātai (questions) about her mahi, her ongoing studies, and her teaching of medical students. If you have any additional pātai, feel free to ask them in the comments or send us a message 🚀

Today we are interviewing our awesome clinical lead at STIEF, Katie. Katie is a nurse practitioner in Tāmaki Makaurau committed to clinical excellence and lifelong learning. We are so lucky to have her on our team!

Our digital communications assistant, Emelia, on what she would have done if she didn’t study medicine! Leave a comment for us if you’ve considered a career change or taken the plunge 🧊

Emelia’s favourite place in the motu and in the world! 😍 Could Aotearoa get any more beautiful!?

Last week we interviewed one of our digital communication assistants… now we’re interviewing the other! We’re chatting to Emelia about her passion for sexual health promotion, women’s health, and te reo Māori 💛

Today we asked Jackie, one of our digital communication assistants, some pātai about why she joined the Just the Facts team and what she enjoys about the role! If you’d be interested in collabing or working with us in the future, feel free to send us a message. Our inbox is always open 🫢😌

Jackie is one of the two digital communication assistants for Just the Facts. Here’s her vision for the future of JTF 💫✨

Today one of your page admins (Jackie) is answering pātai for our Q&A series! If you want any more fun facts, fire them off below 🚀

One of the pātai from our Q&A with the awesome Elina - we’re looking to get our hands on Otherhood very soon. We’d love to hear your thoughts or suggestions in the comments below 🫶

Elina, along with co-founder Steven, founded ‘Storyo’ in 2019 - a platform to the share the fascinating and diverse journeys of inspiring people around the motu; social workers, local artists, sex workers, teachers, and more… Since their first interview, Storyo has spoke with over 200 folks and even won the Impact Awards Inclusion Category for 2023! Elina is an incredible advocate for representation and equity, and an awesome person to work with and learn from. Any additional pātai? Fire them off below 👇🚀

One of the pātai from our Q&A with the awesome Elina from Storyo! We co-ran a ‘Sexy Sunday’ event with Elina earlier this year, and couldn’t have done it with a better person 💫 Have you checked out the sex series yet?!

Imogen Stone is the Acting Programme Lead at “Dear Em”, and has been a part of the team since January 2021. Imogen is passionate about women’s health and politics - issues close to our hearts. Tēnā koe Imogen for chatting to us and for all the amazing mahi you do & coordinate!

This week we are shining the spotlight on “Dear Em,” an amazing organisation that advocates for women who have faced injustice in the sexual violence realm. “Em is a place for young women to have a voice; to find ways to be stronger & more confident in managing stressful situations of all kinds; to recognise sexual harm; and, to learn to support one another.” A big mihi from the JTF girls for this kaupapa ❤️

This week on our Q&A series we are talking to the amazing organisation “Dear Em”. Sanskruti is a Dear Em embassador who has been with the organisation for the last two years. Her passions include human rights and international diplomacy - check out the recently launched Jhumka journey to see more of her awesome mahi ❤️

Big mihi to Olivia Hall, our Executive Director, for subjecting herself to our questions! Liv has an impressive list of passions and achievements, and we are so lucky to have her on board at STIEF with the excitement and energy she brings ✨ If you have any further pātai for her, fire them below 👇🚀

Our Executive Director, Olivia Hall, next up on the Q&A series!

Our Executive Director, Olivia Hall, is next up on our Q&A series… She was raised in Tāmaki Makarau, studied in Pōneke and Ōtepoti, and lived in London! We hope you enjoy some insights into our awesome boss and her journey into this role 💛

A question from our Q&A with Beth! 💃🕺👯‍♀️

One of the questions from our Q&A series with Beth - we’d love to hear if any of you have suggestions for similarly awesome accounts to follow!

To start us off… a Q&A with the amazing Beth!!!! If you’ve been following the page for a while you’ll know we’re a big fan of her at JTF. Beth is a qualified s3x educator, a Pilates and yoga instructor, and a passionate advocate for better s3xual health and s3x education in Aotearoa! She’s also an inspirational human being. Comment below if you’d like to hear more from Beth in podcast format 🫣👇

Very excited to be launching a new series where we ask experts, educators, and regular people interesting questions about sex and sexual health! Have a suggestion of who we should talk to? Send us a private message or comment below 👇

It’s almost the end of Rape Awareness Week… There’s been many informative posts about the different facets of consent — if you’ve missed the week, have a look through the hashtags #rapeawarenessweek2024 and #communityofconsent. @dearem.nz have done some amazing mahi, including some in-person events, kei te mihi ahau!

Our first ever event - a ‘Sexy Sunday’ with Storyo.co! Elina and Steven are amazing at planning and delivering safe, inclusive, FUN events, and we were so grateful to see their magic ✨ at work! Thank you to our awesome panel - Charlie, Kaan and Dr. Eva - and to the team at Seed Waikato, who were there for every moment of setting up 🍇 Sarah, thank you for closing us off with some spoken word, the best way to end a lovely evening! See you at our next event - you are all amazing ☺️ #inclusive #inclusivehealth #seggseducation #nzevents #healthandwellness

#onelessworry #hpvawarenessday #askabouthpv

It’s HPV Awareness Day!! Did you know that only ~60% of eligible rangatahi have the HPV vaccine in Aotearoa NZ? Let’s push that rate up and protect our youth - including the approximately 32,000 young people who missed out on their HPV vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. #onelessworry #hpvawarenessday #askabouthpv

We were absolutely stoked to see an awesome article in the Spinoff describing current governmental guidelines for Relationships and Sexuality Education, following the promise in NZ Firsts' coalition agreement to "refocus the curriculum on academic achievement and not ideology, including the removal and replacement of the gender, sexuality, and relationship-based education guidelines.” Personally, we think these topics are highly valuable and belong in our schools! What are your thoughts? Is there anything missing? As always, send us a DM or leave a comment below if there’s anything you want to see covered next week or if you have any questions 💖

PAID OPPORTUNITY: The Sexually Transmitted Infections Education Foundation (STIEF) is seeking people who are passionate about sexual health to join our Advisory Group.   We would love to see applications from a diverse range of people who identify with our kaupapa. Reach out to the lovely Liv (she/her) on olivia@stief.org.nz if you are interested OR tag someone below who would be an amazing addition to our team👇

In this post we are celebrating some awesome wahine Māori who have created art, poetry, literature and products about and for about waiwhero / ikura (the name for periods or menstruation in te reo Māori). We would like to tautoko Michella Wilson (co-founder of AWWA), Jessica Thompson (maorimermaid), and Dr Ngāhuia Murphy (the researcher and educator whose book we have drawn on for the information on our previous two posts on waiwhero/ikura). Tēnā rawa atu koe. As always, send us a DM or leave a comment below if there’s anything you want to see covered next week or if you have any recommendations or questions 💖

Thank you to a follower who inspired us to create these posts about waiwhero / ikura (the name for periods or menstruation in te reo Māori). Our content has been created using the source “Waiwhero, The Red Waters, A celebration of womanhood - He whakahirahiratanga o te ira wahine” by the amazing Dr. Ngāhuia Murphy, and translated by Sean Ellison. Thank you Dr. Murphy for your words, we hope we have done them justice here. The first photograph of Māori wahine in this post is from the NZ National Library (reference 1/2-070169-G) and is a studio portrait of three Māori woman taken by Frank J Denton in 1908. Standing in the centre is Takotoroa Marunui (nee Jury), daughter of Hoani ‘Te Whatahoro’ Jury and Keriana (nee Potae). On left is Manapouri Bristow/Bristowe (nee Jury), youngest sister to Takotoroa, daughter of Whatahoro and Keriana. On right is Te Aitu o te Rangi Wikitoria Jury (aka Susan Jury/ Sue Materoa Jury), half-sister to Takotoroa, daughter of Whatahoro and his first wife Pane. The moko of the woman on the right identifies her as Te Aitu-o-te-rangi Wikitoria Jury (daughter of Te Whatahoro Jury). The second photograph of a Māori wahine is also from the NZ National library (reference 1/1-001506-G) and is a portrait of a Maori woman wearing a kakahu (cloak) and carrying a patu, taken ca 1910 by Herman John Schmidt of Auckland. As always, send us a DM or leave a comment below if there’s anything you want to see covered next week or if you have any recommendations or questions 💖

Flip the script this Feb 14th and do it for the person who usually does it for you! Plan a surprise date. Pick them flowers. Open their door. Swap your usual chores. It doesn’t have to be fancy. As always, send us a DM or leave a comment below if there’s anything you want to see covered next week or if you have any questions 💖

Comment below a sexist myth that you’d like to see busted👇 As always, send us a DM or leave a comment below if there’s anything you want to see covered next week or if you have any questions 💖

With Valentine’s Day a week away we thought it would be a good time to remind you that familial, friendship, and self-love is just as valid as romantic love. Buy flowers for your dad! Show love to your mates! Get to know yourself better! As always, send us a DM or leave a comment below if there’s anything you want to see covered next week or if you have any questions 💖

In case you missed it, cervical screening has CHANGED! Now, people with a cervix will undergo a self-swab to check for the high-risk HPV virus, before potentially moving on to a further cervical smear. Here is some information about your eligibility for an HPV test. If you have further questions, feel free to contact our STIEF helpline or speak with a healthcare professional. As always, send us a DM or leave a comment below if there's anything you want to see discussed or if you have any questions 💖

In case you missed it, cervical screening has CHANGED! Now, people with a cervix will undergo a self-swab to check for the high-risk HPV virus, before potentially moving on to a further cervical smear. JTF sits under the STIEF umbrella, where we run a sexual health helpline. Lately, we have had LOADS of questions about what this all means, so here is some info that we hope helps! Most importantly - a positive HPV screen does NOT equal cervical cancer. As always, send us a DM or leave a comment below if there's anything you want to see discussed or if you have any questions 💖

In case you missed it, cervical screening has CHANGED! Now, people with a cervix will undergo a self-swab to check for the high-risk HPV virus, before potentially moving on to a further cervical smear. Here is some information about how to do the HPV self-swab. As always, send us a DM or leave a comment below if there's anything you want to see discussed or if you have any questions 💖

These are our goals for 2024, centred around the three key themes of consistency, growth and connection. Sharing these with you is a way to keep ourselves accountable, and let you know our vision for the year ahead. As always, send us a DM or leave a comment below if there's anything you want to see discussed or if you have any questions 💖

TLDR? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! These are our goals for the year summarised As always, send us a DM or leave a comment below if there's anything you want to see discussed or if you have any questions 💖

Mātauranga Māori is the body of knowledge originating from Māori ancestors, including the Māori world view and perspectives, Māori creativity and cultural practices (Te Aka Māori dictionary). We are trying to incorporate more mātauranga Māori into our work this year. As always, send us a DM or leave a comment below if there's anything you want to see discussed or if you have any questions 💖

This is a COLLAB post with the amazing @beyondthebirdsandbeesnz. If you haven’t already, check out their app which is a great resource for rangatahi / rangatahi at heart. In this post we’re discussing the “how to’s” - covering topics such as self pleasure, putting on a condom, and deciding whether you are ready to have sex for the first time. Thanks for joining us this week! Comment below if there’s anyone you’d like to see us collab with in the coming months👇

This is a COLLAB post with the amazing @beyondthebirdsandbeesnz. If you haven’t already, check out their app which is a great resource for rangatahi / rangatahi at heart. In this post we’re discussing how to kōrero about sex with a partner and set boundaries. We’ve also got some examples of healthy behaviours (green light) vs unhealthy behaviours (red light). Comment below if you’ve watched any of the shows referenced in this post 👇

This is a COLLAB post with the amazing @beyondthebirdsandbeesnz. If you haven’t already, check out their app which is a great resource for rangatahi / rangatahi at heart. In this post we’re discussing loving te ataahua tinana / your beautiful body as it is, and loving the body of your partner(s). Comment below if you were caught out by any of these myths 👇

We are so excited to announce ‘Insights’, a 4-part video series created by AJ O'Dea in collaboration with Intersex Aotearoa. Follow the link in our bio to register your attendance now at the launch event on the 25th of October!

FIND YOUR NEAREST SEXUAL HEALTH CLINIC

We can help you find sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment. Start typing your address into our search tool below, select your region or choose 'use my location'.

Disclaimer: These sexual health providers are not under the control of STIEF and we do not accept any responsibility for services delivered by them. Any concerns regarding your experience with the listed providers should be directed to the respective service/clinic to be managed as per their complaints policy; or alternatively to the Health & Disability Commissioner.

About us

Just the Facts is brought to you by the Sexually Transmitted Infections Education Foundation (STIEF) - an initiative funded by the Te Whatu Ora - Health NZ to educate New Zealanders about STIs.

The medical information in Just the Facts is based on the STIEF and NZ Sexual Health Society Guidelines for the management of STIs. Te Whatu Ora - Health NZ supports the use of these clinical guidelines, developed by clinical experts and professional associations to guide clinical care in Aotearoa.

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