‘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.

Dr Clarke said the relatively inexpensive cost of providing such services was far less expensive than dealing with the long-term consequences of untreated infections which were “extremely expensive”.

Fine Gael health spokesman Dr Liam Twomey highlighted the role of alcohol in cases of infection among teenagers. He accused the Government of not taking the issue of sex education seriously enough.

“Recent research suggests that approximately 8% of women have sexual intercourse when they are under the age of 15. With women as young as this engaging in sexual activities, there is a real need for the Government to take sex education seriously,” he said.