People are being encouraged to speak to their pharmacist about their sexual health and contraception needs.

The call comes as part of a new sexual health awareness campaign, which has been launched by the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), the HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme and the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA).

According to Kathy Maher, president of the IPU, the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is on the increase and ‘it is critical that people take steps to protect their health and get tested'.

She noted that 80% of STIs do not display any symptoms.

"For that reason, even if you feel healthy, if you have had unprotected sex, you should ask your pharmacist for advice about getting tested. Early diagnosis is critical in helping to prevent the spread of STIs, as well as maximising the health outcomes of the infected person," she explained.

A survey carried out last year revealed that 17% of people having sex with someone outside of a steady relationship did not use any type of protection. Furthermore, there has been a big rise in the number of STI notifications over the last two decades.

In 1995, 3,361 STIs were reported. By 2014, this had increased to 12,626.

In 2014, the most commonly diagnosed STI was chlamydia, with 6,695 notifications. The highest prevalence of STIs occurs among young people aged between 15 and 24, and among men who have sex with men.

Speaking about the new campaign, Helen Deely, head of the HSE's Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme, said that pharmacies have an important role to play in delivering health services to people.

She also noted the importance of tackling barriers to STI testing.

"The HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme is examining all avenues to improve access to STI testing and we plan to publish clinical guidance on STI testing in various settings, including home-based testing, later this year," she explained.

A list of clinics that provide free STI testing can be found here. As an alternative, many pharmacies now stock testing kits that can be used at home, while IFPA clinics in Dublin also provide STI testing and contraceptive services for a fee (see more here).