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STD statistics for England, Wales and Northern Ireland 1995-2003
STD statistics from Scotland have not been included since Scottish data from 2001, 2002 and 2003 were not available when this table was compiled. Chlamydia and GonorrhoeaSince 1995, there has been a sustained increase in diagnoses of most Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) in the UK, and reports of two of the most common STDs have shown massive rises. Cases of uncomplicated gonorrhoea increased by 137% between 1995 and 2003, while genital chlamydia increased by 192%. Chlamydia has been the most commonly reported sexually transmitted disease since 2001, overtaking genital warts. This is the first time that a bacterial infection has held this title. Chlamydia can have serious side-effects, one of which is Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) which can lead to infertility in women. However, the disease can often be symptomless and therefore many people do not come forward to be tested - they often have no idea that they’re infected. New initiatives such as the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) aim to control STDs through early detection and treatment. In particular, the NCSP targets sexually active people who might not normally have been tested for chlamydia. Since it began in England in September 2002, the NCSP has expanded the number of places offering chlamydia screening to include more non-GUM health centres. Between April 2003 and March 2004, a total of 16,413 opportunistic screening tests for chlamydia were performed in non-GUM venues in England. There remains a vast number of people with chlamydia who do not know they are infected, and screening will have to expand substantially in order to make a significant impact. The rapid increase in reports of bacterial STDs may in part be due to a general deterioration in sexual health amongst young people and MSM. However, the greater acceptability of using GUM services and new campaigns to encourage testing have also made a contribution. Expanded screening for genital chlamydia through NCSP and other schemes, and improved test sensitivity, have certainly contributed to the rise in chlamydia statistics. Syphilis, Genital Warts and Genital HerpesOne of the less common STDs in the UK, infectious syphilis increased in reports by a factor of ten between 1995 and 2003. Recent rises have been fuelled by syphilis outbreaks among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Brighton, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Central Scotland and especially London. Though the numbers involved are considerably lower than in the case of chlamydia, this is still a worrying trend, as syphilis can have serious health implications and had been thought for years to be under control in the UK. Between 1995 and 2003, cases of genital herpes and genital warts rose by 15% and 27% respectively. Who's affected by STDs?The burden of sexually transmitted infections falls unequally in the population; young heterosexuals, MSM and minority ethnic groups are at increased risk. In 2003,
GUM clinics can’t copeThere are in excess of 1.5 million attendances at genitourinary medicine clinics in the UK each year, a number which has been growing by at least 15% annually. This increase in people using GUM services has inevitably put pressure on their ability to deal with infections, and has had led to lengthening waiting times. The pressure on GUM services was highlighted in a House of Commons Health Committee report on sexual health, published in 2003. They said that "England is currently witnessing a rapid decline in its sexual health… Sexual health services appear ill-equipped to deal with the crisis that confronts them. Median waiting times to services are currently around 10-12 days and some services are turning hundreds of people away each week." Waiting times rise, infections riseIf people are not being treated quickly then this has inevitable effects on the spread of infection. STD infection can have grave consequences for an individual’s health and, even if it can be successfully treated, is likely to be traumatic. No-one wants to be told that they have a serious, often disfiguring sexually transmitted infection and then be told to come back next week, or the week after. A national audit of GUM clinics, conducted in May 2004, found that 28% of all emergency cases were not seen within 48 hours. This is the consequence of the government advising people to get tested for STDs and then not providing the facilities for them to get help. Long waiting times for treatment at clinics are increasing the spread of STD epidemics. The worst aspect of the soaring STD levels in this country is that they are entirely preventable. The government's responseIn November 2004, UK Health Secretary John Reid announced proposals for a £300 million campaign to tackle the rapidly increasing rates of sexually transmitted infections. "Prevention messages are not getting through", he said, "We need to act now on sexual health - and make it a priority." £130 million of funding will go towards the modernisation of GUM clinics, with £40m devoted specifically to contraceptive and other preventative services. £50m will also be spent on a TV advertising campaign aimed at young people, which will highlight the risks of unsafe and irresponsible sexual behaviour. It will be the largest campaign of its kind since the 1980s "Tombstone" adverts. Whether the recent change in government attitude will be enough to check the UK's alarming STD epidemics remains to be seen. AVERT.org has more information about UK HIV/AIDS statistics and STI symptoms and treatments. Page written by Steve Berry and Rob Noble. Sources:
Last updated December 16, 2004 |