Sexual health fears as chlamydia cases jump 20%

CHLAMYDIA, a sexually transmitted disease that can cause infertility, now accounts for one third of all reported sexually transmitted infections (STI) in Ireland, new figures show.

The number of cases of chlamydia reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) last year increased by almost 20% to 3,353.

There is concern that the number of people infected may be even greater because many cases go undetected. Of those infected, about 70% of women and 50% of men will show no symptoms of chlamydia.

A study last July by the Well Woman Centre found as many as one in 20 women could have the disease.

And, while the overall number of STIs reported last year dropped by just over 5%, not only chlamydia cases have risen sharply.

Public health specialist, Dr Aidan O’Hora, said there had been a sharp increase in cases of syphilis. “Though syphilis only accounts for about 3% of reported STIs, it is an important marker of risk, particularly for men who have sex with men,” said Dr O’Hora.

He also pointed out that infection increases the risk of transmission of HIV.

Syphilis notifications almost doubled with 282 recorded last year compared to 144 in 2004. Gonorrhoea is also on the rise — up more than 26% to 342.

Overall, the provisional figures show more than 10,000 STIs were reported last year.

In a bid to combat STIs, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has launched a campaign urging people to use a condom to protect themselves from contracting an infection.

HSE assistant national director for population health Catherine Murphy said it was understood there were reasons why people did not carry or use a condom but it was hoped that they would choose to avoid the significant risk of contracting an STI from unprotected sex. “The condom remains the best way to protect against contracting an infection,” she stressed.

The Irish Study of Sexual Health and Relationships found that condom use was decreasing across all age groups with just over 40% saying that their reason for not using a condom was because they trusted their partner. Meanwhile, the Crisis Pregnancy Agency (CPA) is urging women over 35 to use contraception if they do not wish to become pregnant. Traditionally, the highest number of crisis pregnancies among older women occurs in January.

The study found that many women and their partners in their late 30s and early 40s did not use contraception because the women assumed that they were menopausal and had a low pregnancy risk.

The CPA funds counselling services across the country that can help older women dealing with a crisis pregnancy. For a list of these women can free-text the word “list” to 50444.