Types of STI

The facts

• Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial infection and it is on the increase. The number of 16-19 year old men diagnosed with chlamydia doubled between 1993 and 1998.
• On a more positive note this increase is probably due to better awareness of chlamydia. This means that more people are getting tested and identifying the infection early on.
• There were just over 19,000 men diagnosed with chlamydia in GUM clinics in England in 1998. 

The facts

• Herpes is a virus which lives in nerve endings in the skin. You have probably heard of herpes, or cold sores which affect the mouth area. Genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a related form of this virus that infects the genital area.
• Genital herpes is passed on through direct contact and affects the areas where it enters the body. As well as through vaginal sex, it can also be passed through oral sex - so if you have a cold sore it's best to avoid oral sex.
• Genital herpes is most frequently diagnosed in 20-24 year olds.
• There were just over 6,000 cases reported in the UK in sexual medicine/genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in 1998. 

The facts

• There are many different types of warts. They all come from the family of viruses called human papillomavirus (HPV). Common skin warts are often found on the hands, feet or face. They are not likely to cause genital warts as each type will only exist in certain conditions. Genital warts are spread through sexual contact with an infected person.
• Out of all the sexually transmitted infections, genital warts are the most common viral infection. They are most common in men aged between 20 and 24 years.
• There were nearly 31,000 men diagnosed with genital warts in GUM clinics in England during 1998. 

The facts

• The incidence of gonorrhoea increased by 52% in 16-19 year olds from 1998 to 1999. This is a significant leap, and the similar increase in women diagnosed with this infection suggests that heterosexually transmitted gonorrhoea is on the increase.
• There were just over 8,000 men diagnosed with gonorrhoea in GUM clinics in England in 1998. 

The facts

• HIV is the virus which can lead to AIDS. There is no cure for HIV, although new treatments mean you can stay healthy longer. Most people with the HIV virus look healthy and may have no symptoms. Although there is less publicity about HIV/AIDS than in the past, the number of new HIV cases has been rising since the mid 1990s.
• There were 1,713 new cases diagnosed in 1998. There are about 30,000 people in the UK who are currently living with HIV/AIDS, most are men. About 1 out of 3 of these people do not know they have it. 

The facts

• The incidence of syphilis is very low in England and Wales compared with other sexually transmitted infections. Rates of syphilis are highest in London in 25 to 29 year old males, although there have been recent outbreaks in other cities.
• Over half of all cases of syphilis reported between April 1994 and September 1999 were acquired outside the UK. 22% of all cases in males were picked up in Continental Europe.
• 85 cases were diagnosed in men in the UK in 1998 in sexual health/genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics.