UK: Health Protection Agency warns of rise in sexually transmitted infections

There were almost half a million new cases of STIs in the UK last year, figures show.

Experts at the Health Protection Agency (HPA) say young people are most affected, BBC News Online reports. And one in 10 of 15-24 year olds with an STI become infected again within a year.

Health ministers said they would look at what more could be done to increase young people’s awareness of risks.

The 482,696 new cases represent a 3% rise from the 2008 figures, continuing a ‘steady upward trend’ that the HPA said had been seen over the past decade.

Urban and deprived areas have the highest rates of STIs. Hotspots include Hackney and Lambeth in London, as well as Nottingham, Manchester and Blackpool.

The rise is in part due to more testing, and the use of tests which are more sensitive at picking up signs of an infection - but experts believe unsafe sexual behaviour is also part of the story, BBC News Online reports.

Dr Gwenda Hughes, an STI expert at the HPA, said:

‘These figures highlight the vulnerability of young women. Many studies have shown that young adults are more likely to have unsafe sex. Often they lack the skills and confidence to negotiate safer sex. Re-infection is also a worrying issue. Teenagers are repeatedly putting their own and others’ long-term health at risk.’

There were 217,570 diagnoses of chlamydia in 2009 - a 7% increase on the previous year. Cases of genital herpes went up by 5% to 30,126.

And diagnoses of gonorrhoea have gone up by 6% from 16,451 cases in 2008 to 17,385 last year.

The HPA says the bacteria which cause gonorrhoea are becoming more resistant to the most commonly used antibiotics.

Professor Cathy Ison, from the agency’s Centre for Infections, said:

‘We could see gonorrhoea becoming a very difficult infection to treat within the next five years. The infecting bacteria are very versatile. We’re trying to encourage companies to develop effective new antibiotics.’

Sexual health charities described the figures as ‘alarming’ and joined the HPA in urging people to use condoms, and to have a health check if they have had unsafe sex.

Health Minister Paul Burstow said:

‘Left untreated, STIs can lead to infertility. We’re going to look at what more can be done to increase young people’s awareness of risks, to prevent infection and to access screening and treatment.’

Sexually transmitted infections near 0.5m a year in UK. BBC News Online, 25 August 2010

Sexually transmitted infections reach almost half a million: Young women most at risk. Health Protection Agency, 25 August 2010