Gonorrhoea Down, Herpes Up!

The BBC Reports...

'The number of gonorrhoea and syphilis infections has fallen, latest figures for the UK show, although diagnoses of genital warts and herpes are up. Statistics from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) showed the number of new gonorrhoea (goneinyourear!) infections was the lowest in nearly a decade.

Overall sexually transmitted infections was up last year by 0.5%, mostly due to the increase in herpes and warts. Those aged between 16 to 24 are still disproportionately affected by STIs. While just 12% of the UK population falls into this age group, they account for more than half of all new STIs diagnosed in the UK.

They saw 65% of new diagnoses of chlamydia (nice name for a daughter), which remains the most common STI - with a total of 123,018 cases. However the rise in the number of infections with this disease, which can cause infertility if not treated, has slowed markedly.

The HPA suggested the significant rise in the number of herpes and warps diagnoses was probably down to the the greater use of more sensitive tests (rather than rampant sexual activity among the young!).

"Early detection is vital for both men and women as some infections, particularly chlamydia, gonorrhoea and genital herpes, can often have no symptoms. This means people may be unaware that they are infected and can pass the infection on to others," the HPA said in a statement.

"We need to continue to encourage safer sex, including condom use, to help reduce the spread of STIs. We also recommend that anyone with a new or casual sexual partner gets tested regularly at a GUM clinic or through the National Chlamydia Screening Programme."'

I see. How interesting. Shouldn't someone tell the HPA, otherwise known as the Herpes Purveyors Association, and perhaps the BBC as well, that condoms do not protect anyone from catching herpes or genital warts, since it is not transmitted through penetrative intercourse but is spread by direct skin-to-skin contact, especially during intimate sexual contact. This includes kissing, oral sex and contact with the genitals or anus. The herpes virus may sometimes be transmitted through a cut to the skin. I know this because I just looked it up on some website and Fr Tim Finnegan told me so last week.

But we'll ignore the facts shall we and just keep telling kids to use condoms anyway even though they're utterly useless in combating the most common sexually transmitted disease in the UK?