Sex disease rates hit record high in Scottish teenagers

Published on Wednesday 25 March 2009 20:57

MORE than 60 children under 15 were diagnosed with chlamydia last year, as rates of the sexually transmitted infection in Scotland hit a record high.

There were 19,054 cases of the infection diagnosed in 2008, compared with 17,841 the previous year, according to Health Protection Scotland (HPS).

The latest figure included 63 infections diagnosed in children under the age of 15.

Campaigners said increased awareness of the dangers of unprotected sex was still needed to tackle rising rates of diseases. Cases of chlamydia have soared from just 5,676 reported in 1999. Between 2000 and 2001, diagnoses in Scotland soared by 39 per cent in just 12 months.

Last year, the largest increase in cases was seen in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, where diagnoses rose 26 per cent from 4,714 to 5,955. The majority of chlamydia cases – 61 per cent – were found in women. HPS said that increased testing for chlamydia had led to rising numbers of cases being diagnosed.

Yesterday's figures also showed a 6 per cent rise in cases of gonorrhoea, up from 1,015 in 2007 to 1,073 last year – the highest seen in the past ten years.

But diagnoses of herpes fell by 11 per cent in a year from 2,105 to 1,871, according to the report.

The sexual health charity the Terrence Higgins Trust Scotland said the figures highlighted the importance of people being aware of the dangers of infections such as chlamydia.

Catherine Murphy, the trust's policy officer, said: "Chlamydia may show no symptoms, but can be serious and is easily spread, so young people should be encouraged to come forward for testing.

"Most people taking a test at the moment are women, so we need to get more men through the doors."

Ms Murphy said a survey conducted by the Terrence Higgins Trust had found that one in ten young men thought chlamydia was a flower, so they were not surprised that many men were not getting themselves checked.