UK doctors are calling on the government to implement a national sexual
health information campaign to combat huge increases in cases of sexually
transmitted infections (STIs).
A British Medical Association (BMA) report published on Tuesday, highlights that
between 1995 -2000, diagnosed STIs increased by 300,000, and that in 1999
-2000 alone cases of gonorrhoea increased by over 30 per cent in males and
26 per cent in females. The BMA is particularly concerned about the
increased incidence of STIs in gay and bisexual men and young women, and
points out in the report, that having an untreated STI can increase the
chances of a person with HIV passing on the infection and an undiagnosed
person acquiring the infection.
Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA¹s Head of Science and Ethics said: "What is
clear from the figures is that increasing numbers of young heterosexuals and
homosexual/bisexual men are not practising safer sex. As well as providing
effective diagnosis and treatment for STIs we need to get the message across
to young people that there is still no cure for HIV/AIDS, that sexually
transmitted infections, especially if left untreated, can be very serious,
can cause infertility and sometimes lead to death."
The BMA is stressing the cost implications of poor HIV and sexual health
awareness campaigns, noting that a a lifetime's worth of HIV drugs costs
between £135,000 -£181,000 and that a single onward transmission of HIV has
cost implications of up to £1 million.
Echoing a key recommendation of the Government's draft Sexual Health and HIV
Strategy, the BMA is urging the Department of Health to commence a national
sexual health education campaign, noting that similar initiatives in the
1980s and early 1990s led to a sharp decline in cases of gonorrhoea and
other STIs. There have been no television or mass media sexual health
information campaigns in the UK for over a decade, and the report's authors
note that many young people, who are now becoming sexually active, have
never received advice about HIV and other STIs.
The BMA is also calling on popular TV soaps to include story lines which
reflect the true nature of sexual relationships, including the risk of
disease.
Noting that the UK has poor record on sex education compared to other
European countries, the BMA report is recommending that a more proactive
approach to sex education in taken in schools. The UK has the highest
incidence of teenage pregnancies in the European Union, however UK teenagers
are the most ignorant about sexual and reproductive health.
Concern is also expressed by the BMA about the ability of sexual health
services to cope with demands being placed on them. A survey by Southampton
University showed that in 20 per cent of cases, people with an active STI
were unable to obtain treatment within the recommended 48 hours.
To help
address this, the BMA is calling for more specially trained staff, better
hospital accommodation for sexual health clinics, longer opening hours and
training for GPs to enable them to offer support on sexual health.
Poor contact tracing is also been blamed by the BMA for the spread of STIs,
with particular concern expressed about the reluctance of men to inform
their sexual partners they have been diagnosed with an infection.
However, the report does suggest that increased rates of STIs may, in part
be due to greater public awareness about sexual health clinics. The
massive rises seen in cases of chlamydia, particularly in men, is because
clinics have been actively testing for the infection, rather than diagnosing
and treating it as non-specific urethral infection.