Conference tackles 'sexually transmitted infections' problems

A major conference, aimed at increasing awareness of sexually transmitted infections, has highlighted the increasingly poor levels of sexual health in Northern Ireland.

Speakers from across the UK attended today’s conference, ‘Sexually Transmitted Infections – Addressing the Agenda in Northern Ireland’, in the Holiday Inn, Belfast.

The conference was opened by Chief Medical Officer, Dr Henrietta Campbell, who said that this was the first time such an event had been organised in Northern Ireland.

“Sexual health is an important part of physical and mental health as well as of our emotional and social well-being,” she said.

“Many factors adversely impact on people’s sexual health including poverty, unemployment, poor education, poor living and working environments and social inclusion.

“In Northern Ireland, sexual health is generally regarded as poor, with high levels of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. In most respects, we follow England’s STI trends, although perhaps from a lower base, so we are by no means exempt from these problems. The figures for syphilis, for example, are now of outbreak proportions with one case presenting to a GU (Genitourinary) clinic in 2000 compared to 36 in 2003.”

Dr Campbell said a lot of work was now needed to educate adults and teenagers and to ensure they could access the information and services needed.

“The department is working to help tackle the problem and recently produced a Sexual Health Strategy which was issued for consultation earlier this year,” she said.

“It also has a Teenage Pregnancy and Parenthood Strategy that aims to reduce the number of unplanned births to teenage mothers. I am pleased to say that we are already beginning to see positive results and a reduction in the number of births to teenage mothers.”

(MB/GMCG)