National and provincial health departments will promote good sexual behaviour during Sexually Transmitted Infections and Condom Awareness week from Monday next week.
The national health department will officially launch the campaign at a media briefing in Pretoria on Wednesday.
The North West health department, meanwhile, said in a statement it would use the campaign to promote honesty and openness between sexually active partners.
North West Health MEC Dr Molefi Sefularo said: ”It has been observed that many partners still do not inform their counterparts when they have sexually transmitted infections.
”This is often coupled with the reluctance of male partners to use condoms, a behaviour which in itself exposes them to the risk of being infected.”
Sefularo also assured those visiting health facilities to be treated for sexually transmitted infections that their information would be kept confidential.
He also urged men suffering from such infections to be open with female health workers, because they were trained professionals with ethics.
”There is no reason why people should continue to suffer from curable ailments just because they have a fear of being stigmatised by health workers and their partners,” he said. – Sapa