Chlamydia accounted for one-third of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Ireland last year, though there was a slight drop in the number of STIs reported, figures released by the Health Service Executive (HSE) show.
Data compiled by the HSE's Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) indicates that the number of STIs reported in 2005 fell by 5.1 per cent on the previous year, with a significant decline in two of the big three infections, ano-genital warts and non-specific urethritis, which were down 17.2 and 23.3 per cent respectively. However, the incidence of other infections rose sharply.
"This suggests that the observed decline may be masking an underlying trend that continues to rise. We are concerned at a big increase in chlamydia in 2005 compared to the previous year (up 19.6 per cent to 3,353). Chlamydia now accounts for one-third of all reported STIs in Ireland," said Dr Aidan O'Hora, specialist in public health medicine at the HPSC.
There was also a noticeable rise in syphilis notifications, which doubled from 144 cases in 2004 to 282 last year, though this still only accounts for about 3 per cent of reported STIs.
More than 10,000 STI cases were reported last year but the real figure could be much higher because some infections show no symptoms, according to Brian Neeson, the HSE's health promotion manager. "The figures around a disease like chlamydia can be misleading because many cases go undetected - about 70 per cent of women and 50 per cent of men will show no symptoms of chlamydia - and the same is true of gonorrhoea: up to 86 per cent of women and 55 per cent of men are asymptomatic," he said.
The statistics, released to coincide with the launch today of a national campaign to educate people about the risks of contracting STIs, show that slightly more than eight out of 10 (81 per cent) reported STIs are found in people aged 20-39, with the majority of these (63.6 per cent) in the 20-29 age-bracket.
"Using a condom significantly reduces your chances of catching a sexually transmitted infection," said Catherine Murphy, assistant national director for population health.
