A new social media campaign aimed at promoting safer sex is being launched by the HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme(SHCPP).

The campaign, #respectprotect, is set to replace the HSE's ‘Johnny's Got You Covered' campaign, which has been running since late 2013.

It will actively encourage anyone who is thinking about having sex, or is already sexually active, to think ahead, access the correct information, and practise safe sex.

The campaign will also continue to focus on the importance of using condoms, both as a form of contraception and to protect against STIs.

Provisional figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre show that in 2017, there were 5,200 cases of 15-24-year-olds diagnosed with chlamydia, gonorrhea or genital herpes. This marks an 11% increase on 2016's figures.

"Moving to the new campaign will provide the HSE with greater flexibility in conveying more targeted and credible safer sex messages to our younger audience. Our move from Johnny's Got You Covered to #respectprotect is in response to both policy and significant social change in Ireland over recent years," commented SHCPP lead, Helen Deely.

The HSE's website, sexualwellbeing.ie, which launched earlier this year, will support the campaign and provide information on STIs, contraception, relationships, consent and crisis pregnancy.