AT LEAST one in every 10 cases of sexually transmitted infection (STI) reported in the State is now among teenagers, according to a new report.
Data compiled by the national Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) indicates close to 10,000 cases of STI were reported to it in 2006 – the latest year for which statistics are available.
Some 1,106 of these were in individuals aged 19 years or under. The majority of infections – more than 6,000 cases – were among 20- to 29-year-olds.
The HPSC stressed that the number of infections reported is likely to be an under-representation of the true amount because the STI surveillance system here is “of limited usefulness”.
This is because most notifications of infections come from STI clinics and there are generally few notifications from GPs, family planning clinics or other primary care settings such as student health services. Furthermore, the time lag between a case being diagnosed and data reaching the HPSC can be up to two years.
With that caveat, the report says notifications of STIs fell slightly in 2006 when compared with 2005 – down 3 per cent to 9,892 cases – but it says this is largely attributable to the lack of data from one STI clinic in the midwest which was unable to provide aggregate STI returns.
Some 63 per cent of infections reported were among men. The most common infections reported were ano-genital warts, chlamydia and non-specific urethritis.
The report says that cases of chlamydia – which can lead to infertility – decreased by 3 per cent overall in 2006 and cases of syphilis declined by 53 per cent. Cases of gonorrhoea increased by 26 per cent.
“The data in this report highlights the burden of disease due to STIs in Ireland and suggests considerable risk-taking behaviour in the form of unprotected intercourse,” it said. “The data presented suggests that there is scope for improvement regarding STI prevention in Ireland.”
The number of STIs detected at clinics in each region is outlined in the report; it stresses that this is not representative of the number of infections in each area as some areas have no STI clinic and people have to travel for testing.
The report says STI notifications have almost trebled since 1995.
A separate report from the HPSC shows there were 204 newly diagnosed cases of HIV in the first six months of 2007, up from 183 cases in the same six months of 2006.
Mary O’Shea, executive director of the Dublin Aids Alliance, expressed concern that STIs among young people are rising.
She said investment in education and prevention programmes, in addition to expansion of HIV and STI screening facilities, are urgently needed. “Initiatives are dependent on government commitment to put HIV and sexual health on the political agenda,” she said.