Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 December 2004
131 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the situation regarding sexually transmitted diseases here, the details of the different diseases, rates of infection and trends; the actions that are being taken to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31721/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Disease Surveillance Centre recently published sexually transmitted infections, STIs, figures for quarter one of 2003. Some 2,664 cases of STIs were notified in Ireland during quarter one of 2003, compared to 2,541 notifications during quarter one of 2002, representing a 4.8% increase in STI notifications.
The three most commonly notified STIs in quarter one of 2003 were ano-genital warts, 929 cases; non-specific urethritis, 560 cases; andchlamydia trachomatis, 525 cases. The highest increase reported in quarter one of 2003, compared to quarter one of 2002 was for infectious hepatitis B, which was +230.0%. The most significant decreases reported during quarter one of 2003, compared to quarter one of 2002 were for gonorrhoea, -16.67%; and syphilis, -8.2%. The following Table 1 gives details of all notified STIs for quarter one of 2003 and quarter one of 2002.
|
Sexually Transmitted Infection |
Q1 2003 |
Q1 2002 |
Increase/Decrease |
% Increase |
|
Ano-Genital Warts |
929 |
1,017 |
-88 |
-8.65 |
|
Candidiasis |
321 |
324 |
-3 |
-0.93 |
|
Chancroid |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Chlamydia Trachomatis |
525 |
433 |
92 |
21.25 |
|
Genital Herpes Simplex |
97 |
84 |
13 |
15.48 |
|
Gonorrhoea |
40 |
48 |
-8 |
-16.67 |
|
Granuloma Inguinale |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Infectious Hepatitis B |
33 |
10 |
23 |
230.00 |
|
Lymphogranuloma Venereum |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Molluscum Contagiosum |
42 |
34 |
8 |
23.53 |
|
Non-Specific Urethritis |
560 |
470 |
90 |
19.15 |
|
Pediculosis Pubis |
22 |
23 |
-1 |
-4.35 |
|
Syphilis |
78 |
85 |
-7 |
-8.24 |
|
Trichomoniasis |
17 |
13 |
4 |
30.77 |
|
Total |
2,664 |
2,541 |
123 |
4.84 |
In terms of full year figures, the latest annual figures available from the NDSC show that 10,471 STIs were notified in 2002 compared with 9,703 in 2001, a 7.9% increase. The following Table 2 gives details of all notified STIs for 2002 and 2001.
|
Sexually Transmitted Infection |
2002 |
2001 |
Increase/Decrease |
% Increase |
|
Ano-Genital Warts |
3,932 |
3993 |
-61 |
-1.53 |
|
Candidiasis |
1,351 |
1,150 |
201 |
17.48 |
|
Chancroid |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Chlamydia Trachomatis |
1,922 |
1,649 |
273 |
16.56 |
|
Genital Herpes Simplex |
358 |
331 |
27 |
8.16 |
|
Gonorrhoea |
214 |
349 |
-135 |
-38.68 |
|
Granuloma Inguinale |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
|
Infectious Hepatitis B |
57 |
39 |
18 |
46.15 |
|
Lymphogranuloma Venereum |
1 |
0 |
1 |
— |
|
Molluscum Contagiosum |
150 |
111 |
39 |
35.14 |
|
Non-Specific Urethritis |
2,025 |
1,634 |
391 |
23.93 |
|
Pediculosis Pubis |
84 |
103 |
-19 |
-18.45 |
|
Syphilis |
303 |
279 |
24 |
8.60 |
|
Trichomoniasis |
73 |
64 |
9 |
14.06 |
|
Total |
10,471 |
9,703 |
768 |
7.92 |
The report of the National AIDS Strategy Committee, NASC, which was published in 2000, makes a range of recommendations for dealing with STIs and HIV and AIDS. My Department through the National AIDS Strategy Committee and its sub-committees on education and prevention, surveillance and care and management is working to implement these recommendations.
In regard to STIs and HIV and AIDS, our first line of defence must be education and awareness. In this regard the national health promotion strategy 2000-05 acknowledges that sexuality is an integral part of being human and healthy sexual relationships can contribute to an overall sense of well-being. A strategic aim of the health promotion strategy 2000-05 is "to promote safer sexual health and safer sexual practices among the population."
Education and prevention measures are co-ordinated by the health promotion unit, HPU, of my Department within the context of both the national health promotion strategy and the report of the National AIDS Strategy Committee 2000. In fulfilment of objectives and recommendations set out in these strategies the health promotion unit is involved in and supports a range of initiatives and interventions aimed at preventing and raising awareness of STIs and HIV and AIDS. The following are some examples of the current priorities: in the school setting, my Department is working in partnership with the Department of Education and Science and the health boards to support schools in the introduction and delivery of social, personal and health education, SPHE, at both primary and post primary level. Relationships and sexuality education is an integral part of this curriculum and remains a key priority for this work with schools.
In the out of school setting, the health promotion unit of my Department works in partnership with youth affairs section of the Department of Education and Science and the National Youth Council of Ireland to implement the national youth health programme. The aim of the programme is to provide a broad-based, flexible health promotion-education support and training service to youth organisations and to all those working with young people in the non-formal education sector. Within the context of this programme, a training initiative called Too Hot to Handle is offered to youth workers which address the issues of relationships, sexuality and sexual health with young people.
A national public awareness advertising campaign to promote sexual health which is aimed at men and women in the 18 to 35 age group to increase awareness about safe sex and STIs. The overall goal is to increase safe sex, reducing the incidence of STI transmission and unwanted pregnancies among young people in Ireland. The campaign runs in third level colleges, places of entertainments, such as pubs, clubs, discos and youth clubs. This national programme has been running for several years and a new and revised campaign is currently being implemented by the HPU, which has greatly increased the number of venues targeted.
The report of the National AIDS Strategy Committee, AIDS Strategy 2000, recommended that a national survey of sexual knowledge, attitudes and behaviours in Ireland be carried out in line with those in other European countries. Such a study would provide nationally representative information on knowledge and attitudes to sex, sexual health, sexual health services and sexual behaviour. The data will also provide a benchmark for planning future sexual health promotion services and strategies. Most importantly, it is intended that all findings will inform future policy and practice developments. This survey is being conducted by my Department in conjunction with the Crisis Pregnancy Agency. The aims of this survey include the collection of reliable nationally representative baseline information that will: build a representative and reliable national picture of sex and sexual behaviour in Ireland; measure levels of sexual knowledge among people in Ireland; reliably assess national attitudes toward important constructs related to sex, sexuality and service use; and examine patterns, similarities and differences, among different cohorts and patterns underlying these variations; examine, explore and reliably describe the interrelationships between knowledge, attitudes and behaviours in the context of theory, sexual health promotion and policy development. The HPU also produces a range of awareness raising leaflets on STIs and safe sex practices which are available through health promotion departments in each health board.
Almost €5.5 million of additional annual funding has been provided to health boards since 1997 to address the treatment of STIs and HIV and AIDS. This has resulted in a substantial increase in the facilities in place. At present there are seven consultants specialising in the treatment of STIs and HIV and AIDS; five of these are in Dublin, one of whom deals with children, one in Cork and one in Galway.
The care and management sub-committee of NASC visited hospitals and health boards involved in the provision of services to people with HIV and AIDS and STIs. The purpose of these visits was to identify gaps and make recommendations for the future direction of treatment services. The report of the sub-committee will be published in the coming months. My Department will continue to closely monitor the position in relation to sexually transmitted infections and HIV and AIDS.
