4:50pm Sunday 5th September 2010
By Hannah Al-Taraboulsy
A WARRINGTON doctor has warned that having unprotected sex is like ‘playing Russian roulette’ after it emerged that more than 61,400 new sexually transmitted infections were diagnosed in the north west in 2009.
A report published by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) revealed that 61,493 new cases of were diagnosed last year compared to 59,702 the previous year, which equates to a three per cent increase.
Research revealed that nationally, 11 per cent of 16 to 19-year-old women and 12 per cent of men in the same age group with an STI became re-infected within a year of treatment. The group most affected by STIs were young women aged 15 to 24.
Dr Emile Morgan, consultant physician and clinical director in HIV and sexual health at Stretton’s Spire Cheshire Hospital, has now called for the new Goverment to keep sexual health a priority.
He said: “I feel that the message hasn’t got through yet to young people. Unfortunately from my experience young people are still having unprotected sex.
“I think young people feel it won’t happen to them but there’s no way of knowing if someone has an STI. If a person has unsafe sex it is equal to Russian roulette. It’s sad to see young people destroying their lives because of a lack of understanding.
“Sexual health needs to be at the top of the agenda for this Government and it needs to take it seriously.”
In 2009 there were increases in chlamydia, up from 29,740 new cases in 2008 to 31,163 in 2009, genital herpes, up from 3,816 to 4,007 in the same period, and genital warts, up from 12,132 cases in 2008 to 12,267.
Figures showed a slight decrease in gonorrhoea, down from 2,163 in 2008 to 1,987 in 2009, and in syphilis, down from 520 new cases in 2008 to 430 in 2009.
In 2009 a total of 482,696 new STI diagnoses were reported to the agency on a national basis. Stephen Ryan, north west director of service delivery for sexual health charity the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “It’s staggering that almost half a million people each year are affected by preventable sexually transmitted infections.
“Until we improve sex education and give extra support to young people they will continue to take avoidable risks with their sex lives.”
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