James Kavanagh: ‘Sex should be discussed at the dinner table as easily as the weather’

Brought to you by (DUREX)^RED. 

Everyone loves a bitta sex.

But, funnily enough, not everyone loves talking about it. A joke here, a flirty comment there, perhaps, but not REAL talk. The kind of talk you really should be having WAY before you even consider doing the deed, we think. James Kavanagh agrees. He believes the secret to safe sex is knowing all about what you're doing and what you're getting yourself in for. Sex is great but it comes with risks too. In an interview with (DUREX)^RED James said: "Central to a healthy and happy sex life is practising safe sex, always, and communicating with your partner. STI cases continue to rise, so being open and honest about your sexual history will strengthen your relationship by eradicating doubts and fears." James Kavanagh is encouraging everyone to give a f**k about AIDS by picking up a pack or two or three of (DUREX)^RED next time we plan on getting down and dirty because Durex has teamed up with non-profit organisation, RED, and HIV Ireland for their Give a F**K campaign to help in the fight against AIDS. That's right. You can actually help the world by having sex. You're welcome. Seriously, though. While the worldwide numbers of those fighting AIDS are going down, HIV figures in Ireland continue to rise. Ireland is looking very likely to top 500 HIV diagnoses in 2018 for the second time in three years and sex ed has everything to do with it. James Kavanagh insists that the lack of sex education is a huge contributing factor to the growing STI problem: "It's clear that sex education taught in Irish schools has not evolved from when I was in school almost a decade ago. When it came to STI education, my teachers shared limited information with us. I know a lot now, but it has only come from my own experiences of having an STI." Though James Kavanagh thinks it's not just teachers who should be pulling up their socks. "I, for one, would like to see this change - sex, sexual health and sex education should be discussed at the dinner table as easily as the weather. Parents play such a major role in guiding their children to make positive, education decisions in life, they ultimately influence the choices that they make and, therefore, I believe that if Irish people took an open approach to discussing these important issues, that the next generation will be the ones to positively change the status quo and bring about a reduction in the rates of STIs being reported in this country." In Ireland, contraception is often talked about in the context of birth control and the dangers of STIs are largely ignored. It's so important for EVERYONE who is having sex to wear protection and keep themselves safe. "As a sexual health advocate, it's a personal mission of mine to ensure that teenagers are receiving a broad, open and frank sexual education that is fit for the 21st century and that therefore addresses the interests and concerns of both gay and straight audiences." While the worldwide HIV figures are going down, in 2017 there were still around 37 million people living with the virus. In sub-Saharan Africa, three in four new infections are among girls aged 15 to 19, while young women aged 15 to 24 are twice as likely to be living with HIV than men.* Buying (DUREX)^RED for your sexy times means you will be supporting young women and girls in South Africa, helping to prevent them from contracting AIDS by providing greater access to sexual health services and by keeping them in school, where they can be educated and informed in a safe environment. With each pack of (DUREX)^RED that's bought, 30c will go towards this cause. Durex is also making a minimum donation of €4.4 million to the The Global Fund via the (DUREX)^RED partnership, which the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation will match. So #GAF (give a f**k), get out there and get the ride to save lives. *Click here for more important statistics. Brought to you by (DUREX)^RED. We can all ‘give a f**k’ ahead of World AIDS Day 2018, by buying a (DUREX)^RED condom at selected retailers nationwide and sharing the #GAF message online. To find out more information about the (RED) campaign, visit www.durex.ie/red.