Saturday 21 July 2007

Rise in STDs as safe sex message fails




SEXUALLY transmitted diseases are up in Greater Manchester - showing the safe sex message is not getting through.The number of patients seeking help at the region's sexual health clinics rose by six per cent to almost 13,000 in 2006, according to new Health Protection Agency (HPA) figures.Cases of genital herpes saw the biggest increase - up 10 per cent from 2005. They reveal Manchester is doing far worse than the national average. Across Britain, new STD cases increased by two per cent.Locally, the number of genital warts cases rose by six per cent and gonorrhoea by four per cent. Cases of chlamydia - which can leave women infertile if not treated in time - increased seven per cent to more than 6,100. The only disease which decreased was syphilis. Increased screening may explain some of the increases, but the results show many are still taking risks with their sexual health - despite multi-million pound government campaigns to encourage safer sex.Those most at risk are young adults and gay men, among whom STD rates are spiralling.Dr Lorraine Lighton, of the HPA North West, said: "The figures are disappointing, because these are preventable infections. I would urge people to take responsibility for their own and their partners' sexual health by practising safer sex. It is important to use a condom, especially with new and casual partners."Early detection of infection is essential to ensure successful treatment and to reduce the spread of infections. Some infections, particularly chlamydia and gonorrhoea, often have no symptoms. Separate figures from the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University show the number of new sexually-transmitted HIV cases fell in Greater Manchester last year.Hospitals recorded 269 new cases in 2006 - down from 370 the previous year. Of those, 123 were gay men and 146 through heterosexual encounters.

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