‘Free screening needed to stem sharp rise in STIs’

SCREENING for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) should be available free of charge in dedicated clinics and GP surgeries, a medical specialist told the Oireachtas Health Committee yesterday.

Dr Susan Clarke, a consultant in infectious diseases in St James’s Hospital, said the measure was vital if a 2,000% increase in chlamydia cases in the past 10 years was to be successfully tackled. Since 1999, cases of herpes have increased by 426%, while cases of gonorrhoea have increased by over 45% since 2003.

Dr Clarke said patients should be able to choose whether to attend a hospital or a GP for assessment while systems should be in place to allow for rapid treatment once a diagnosis is made.