Major rise in Cork sex infection screenings

THE number of people being screened at Cork clinics for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has almost trebled in the last 10 years.

However, since the introduction of a screening service at Kerry General Hospital in August 2000, the figure has remained relatively static.

In 1996, a total of 2,654 people were treated for STIs in Cork, while last year the figure was 7,745. In Kerry, the yearly figures have hovered in the early to mid-400 range.

Dr Mary Horgan, consultant in infectious diseases, said yesterday that a total breakdown of the types of infections was not yet available for all of 2006. But she pointed out that the four main STIs being reported were chlamydia — which can cause infertility in women — ano-genital warts, genital herpes and gonorrhoea.

Dr Horgan said there had been an increase in the latter infection in the past couple of years, which she attributed to the Celtic Tiger economy. This was leading to more people taking foreign holidays. Most of those attending the Cork clinics had contracted gonorrhoea abroad, and most notably in Thailand.

She says the holiday spirit, which usually includes liberal quantities of alcohol, leads people to take more risks.

“Chlamydia can cause infertility and tubal pregnancies. Repeated infections cause tubal blockages. The thing is it’s certainly preventable and when diagnosed it’s easy to treat,” Dr Horgan said.

More than 50% of patients treated in Cork and Kerry are 18 to 25 years old, although Dr Horgan said that some of those treated last year were in their 60s and the odd one in their 70s. Rarely do the clinics treat anybody under 16.

She attributes the far higher number of cases in Cork to a larger and younger population, many of whom have too much drink and then throw caution to the wind by forgetting the potential fallout from unprotected sex.

The specialist pointed out that it wasn’t uncommon for people who were treated previously with an STI to get re-infected and return to clinics.

Several prostitutes were regularly tested in Cork and Dr Horgan said this was because they had a professional attitude to the business. However, they were far more likely to insist that partners use condoms than ordinary people.

Five weekly clinics operate at South Infirmary/Victoria Hospital and screening also takes place at the Youth Health Service office in Shandon Street on Friday mornings. A clinic operates at Kerry General Hospital, Tralee, on Friday afternoons.

Some STIs can be diagnosed immediately, but tests have to be conducted to confirm others. These test results are normally known within one or two weeks.