They say trouble
comes in threes.
But it’s the
double threat of chlamydia and gonorrhoea causing health professionals the
greatest concern in New South Wales. Newly released data shows close to 7,000
notifications of gonorrhoea in 2016, up 28% from 2015’s figure.
Gonorrhoea, a
serious infection of the genital tract, showed a higher rate in women—up 43%, in
contrast to a 23% increase in men. However, the
NSW Sexually Transmissible
Infections Data Report for 2016
does indicate that Gonorrhoea is more common in
males who have sex with other males. 81% of notifications overall for gonorrhoea
were in men.
"We use women
as bit of a marker for the heterosexual population, so the fact we have seen
this increase suggests we're seeing more transmission in heterosexual people as
well," said Dr Christine Selvey, a medical epidemiologist at NSW Health.
What can be done?
While the figures
reflect the higher number of tests being performed on different sites of
infection on the body, "the data shows that more can be done in terms of
condom use, which is the best way to prevent the transmission of an
infection," Dr Selvey said.
"Both
gonorrhoea and chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, and apart
from being painful, women can get scarring which may later lead to fertility
and pregnancy problems."
The rise in chlamydia
cases is also worrying, with 337 notifications per 100,000 people—13% up on the
previous year. Chlamydia, one of the most common STIs did show a change in gender
spread.
"In 2016, the
rates of chlamydia notification in both males and females were very similar,
whereas in previous years the female chlamydia notification rate was
consistently higher than males," the report said.
Young People Take Note
NSW Local Health Service has
urged young people to be especially careful and to take more control of their
sexual health.
"Because chlamydia
doesn't come with rampant side effects, you'll have 16 to 25-year-olds who are
sexually active not getting tested," HIV & Related Programs manager
Jenny Heslop said.
"It's really a domino
effect - it starts off with one, they have sex with four or five people and
then it's transmitted to those four or five and those four or five have
relations with two each and it keeps spreading".
Although her organisation has
handed out thousands of condoms at youth events and university campuses Ms. Heslop said the safe sex message was in many cases being missed.
"The kids that we are
seeing now have not been exposed to high levels of safe sex campaigning as in
the 1980's", she said. "Youth think things like anal penetration on
girls means you don't have to wear a condom because they won't get pregnant.
"It's not about
pregnancy—it's about STIs."
It’s a timely
reminder that condoms are still the best way to protect yourself against sexually
transmitted and blood-borne diseases.
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