Women ‘skimping on contraception due to recession’
More women are also self-treating sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) while the number seeking fertility tests has fallen for the first time in a decade.
Well Woman said it was concerned that people were putting their health and fertility at risk because it was now regarded as a luxury they simply couldn’t afford.
Alison Begas, chief executive of the pioneering clinic, which published its annual report yesterday, said last year was the first time in 10 years it saw a decline in demand for its services.
“We can only assume that people are now postponing sexual health checks and other associated visits because they are increasingly feeling the strain of the recession.
“For some people, sexual health services are being considered as a luxury.”
The number of patients who attended for general screening for STIs fell to 1,600 last year, down from almost 3,000 in 2007 while chlamydia tests fell from 4,600 to 3,300.
Medical director Dr Shirley McQuade said the declines were worrying because many STIs had no symptoms in the early stages and people were unaware they were infected until they had already suffered serious damage. “Chlamydia in particular often has no symptoms but we’ve found 14% of the young women under 20 that we test are infected. That’s enormous.”
STI screening is free in public hospitals whereas Well Woman charges but Dr McQuade said people often chose not to go public.
“There is a waiting time and it’s still a nine-to-five system in most hospitals so it doesn’t suit everyone. If people are not coming to us because they’re using public facilities, fine, but I suspect there are huge numbers of people who do not go anywhere.”
Dr McQuade said more women were also trying to self-treat infections and were doing without contraception because they can’t afford it.
“I see women who have not been on the pill for three or four months. They’ve been on the pill for years but they’ve run out and they put off renewing the prescription.
“I also see women choosing to take the least expensive option. There are about 14 different options and whereas before, price didn’t come into it, now it’s one of the first questions.
“Rates of attendance for our services also increase around pay day now. A lot of women get paid monthly and we find more women come in the first week of the month than in the last week. There is a definite economic influence going on here.”
The numbers coming for fertility-related checks fell 20% last year — the first drop in a decade.
“Maybe it’s a case that we don’t have as many couples in that age group in the country any more or maybe people are thinking that they can’t afford to have a baby even if they can afford the fertility tests.”
