Disease that can wreck fertility hits 100,000 in a year

01/07/2005

Julie Wheldon, Daily Mail

Cases of the sexually transmitted disease Chlamydia have soared past the 100,000-a-year mark for the first time.

Those contracting the disease which can destroy woman’s fertility rose by eight per cent between 2003 and 2004.

It is the first time new diagnoses of Chlamydia have exceeded 100,000 cases in a single year.

The infection is particularly rife among the young with two thirds of cases in men and women under 24.

Family campaigners said it pointed to alarming promiscuity among the young and called for a change in sex education policies.

The Chlamydia figures were published yesterday by the Health Protection Agency.

They show the number of all sexually transmitted infections diagnosed at genitor-urinary medicine clinics has risen by two per cent in Britain from 735,302 cases in 2003 to 751,282 last year.

The most common disease is Chlamydia with cases rising eight per cent in a year from just over 95,000 to 103,932.

Chlamydia is known as the ‘silent infection’ because it usually has no symptoms. If undetected it can destroy a woman’s chances of having children.

The latest infection rates are three-and-a-half times higher than a decade ago when there were 29,000 diagnoses of Chlamydia a year.

Cases of Syphilis have risen by 37 per cent from 2003 with more than 2,200 patients diagnosed last year. The incidence of genital warts has gone up four per cent with almost 80,000 new cases last year.

Dr Helen Ward, an STI expert at the Health Protection Agency’s centre for infections said: ‘A further rise in new diagnoses of STIs during 2004 is disappointing. We cannot be complacent about the continuing spread of infection.

‘Overall there is a long way to go before we have turned the tide in reducing the spread of STIs, and prevent the many cases infertility that follow for women.’

She said increased availability of testing accounted for part of the increase of Chlamydia.

Some sexually transmitted diseases, such as gonorrhoea, has seen a 10 per cent drop in cases, she said. Family campaigners said the rise in sexually transmitted diseases showed there was a need to change the way youngsters were taught about sex.

Valerie Riches, of Family and Youth Concern, was appalled at the increase in infections. ‘It is a personal tragedy for those affected and also shows there must be a big rethink about what we are saying to children’ she said.

‘The whole area of sex education has been a concern for some years.

‘The message is that if you use contraception you can do what you like but you can still get an STI. ‘These figures are also an indication of the degree of promiscuity today.

‘We have to teach young people to respect the gift of their fertility and sex.

‘It is not there to be abused and if it is there are outcomes as we see with STIs and abortions.’

Tory health spokesman Simon Burns said: ‘The further increase in sexually transmitted infections in the UK is truly alarming and highlights that the current government initiatives are failing to make any significant impact.

‘The burgeoning incidences of STIs in the UK are now reaching epidemic proportions.’

The government pointed out that despite the rise, the speed at which infections were increasing had actually slowed down.

Public Health Minister Caroline Flint said: ‘No one is doubting the severity of this problem.

‘Tackling the rise in sexually transmitted infections is a government priority and that is why we are investing £300million in sexual health – the largest amount ever for this area.

‘This includes a £50million national advertising campaign to warn the public of the dangers of irresponsible sexual behaviour and the top five STIs are to be launched shortly.

‘We want to ensure that people can easily get access to contraception and sexual health services.’

THE INFECTION RATES

Chlamydia
2003 = 95,879
2004 = 103,932
change = +8%

Syphilis
2003 = 1,641
2004 = 2,252
change = +37%

Genital Warts
2003 = 76,457
2004 = 79,618
change = +4%

Gonorrhoea
2003 = 24,195
2004 = 22,320
change = -10%

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