Genital Herpes

 

 Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continue to rise across the UK, with a particularly "worrying" picture among young people, health experts said today.

There was a two per cent rise in the number of new cases of all STIs diagnosed at clinics between 2005 and 2006, figures showed.

Genital herpes was a cause for concern, with a nine per cent increase between 2005 and 2006, according to the Health Protection Agency.

Among teenage girls aged between 16 and 19, the rise was 16 per cent for genital herpes, which cannot be cured but is treatable.

Genital warts in this female age group increased five per cent, but gonorrhoea fell three per cent and chlamydia fell one per cent.

Between 1997 and 2006, STIs showed a huge rise, with syphilis rising by 1,607 per cent, gonorrhoea by 46 per cent, chlamydia by 166 per cent and herpes by 36 per cent.

Between 2005 and 2006, the total number of new cases of STIs diagnosed at UK GUM clinics went up from 368,341 to 376,508.

Chlamydia increased by four per cent and genital warts by three per cent.

Lisa Power, head of policy at the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "We have to reverse this trend. Quality sex and relationships education - not just biology lessons - has been shown to decrease risky behaviour in teens.

"We also need to stop the decline in health promotion work for gay men at a local level. "There are also startling rises in the levels of genital herpes, particularly amongst young women.

"We need to get the message across that this is a lifelong and unpleasant condition which will require ongoing treatment, and not something to be taken lightly."

Dr Gwenda Hughes, head of the STI section at the HPA, said higher STI rates were found in young people because they were more sexually active.

Multiple partners, changing partners and failing to wear condoms all contributed to higher rates in this group, she said.

The HPA said it was particularly concerned about young people and gay men.

Figure showed increasing levels of unsafe sexual behaviour among gay men, putting them at a heightened risk of contracting HIV among other diseases.

Professor Pat Troop, chief executive of the HPA, said long-term trends for some diseases showed that some rates of infection were slowing down.

"There are some encouraging trends but they are very early," she said. "There's absolutely no room for complacency."

Source: Metro UK