Director of Public Health Annual Report 2011 - NHS North Somerset

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Director of Public Health Annual Report 2011 Table 1: Rate per 100,000 population of chlamydia infections in North Somerset and England in 2010 North Somerset South West England Age < 25* 3876.9 2037.9 2219.1 Age > 25 81.1 60.3 93.3 All ages 468.7 304.8 359.4 Source: Health Protection Agency. Genito-Urinary Medicine Clinic Activity Dataset (GUMCAD) except * which includes data from the National Chlamydia Screening Programme. What are we doing about it? In 2003, the Department of Health set up the National Chlamydia Screening Programme. This programme is designed to increase awareness and testing of chlamydia in the under 25’s, reducing the serious long term consequences of infection. Every year more young people are being tested for chlamydia infection in North Somerset. In 2010/11, 5,618 chlamydia tests were taken by 15 to 24 year olds in North Somerset. Chlamydia tests are available from a wide range of places, the most popular being GP surgeries followed by the Weston Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) Centre (Figure 1). Figure 1 Location of chlamydia tests in 15 – 24 year olds in North Somerset (2010/11) Source: Avon Information Management and Technology Consortium. *The term CASH stands for Contraceptive and Sexual Health clinics such as No Worries! and Brook Advisory Centre 4
Director of Public Health Annual Report 2011 The level of testing in 2010/11 in young people aged 15-24 in North Somerset (24.5%) was higher than the South West average (20.9%) but slightly lower than the national average (25.2%). North Somerset has the second highest proportion of chlamydia tests that are positive in the country in this age group (8.9% compared to 5.2% in England). About two thirds of partners of those with chlamydia will also be infected. The process of informing partners so that they can get tested and treated is called partner notification. Some local services, including the Weston Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) Centre and the Avon Chlamydia Screening Programme, which processes about half of all tests in North Somerset, have high levels of partner notification. But the level of partner notification in other settings, including GP practices, is unknown. A challenge for North Somerset is to increase the numbers of men tested for chlamydia. North Somerset has the second lowest proportion of men (17.7%) aged 15-24 tested for chlamydia of any area in England. Information is needed about where in North Somerset testing is low and infection rates high so that services can be focused in geographical areas of highest need. Other Sexually Transmitted Infections There are many other sexually transmitted infections apart from chlamydia. After chlamydia, the three most commonly diagnosed infections in North Somerset patients attending genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics, which are specialist sexual health clinics such as the Weston Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) Centre in Weston-super- Mare, are genital warts, herpes and gonorrhoea. Gonorrhoea is also caused by bacteria and like chlamydia can result in pelvic inflammatory disease, pain and infertility. Genital warts are caused by a virus, and infection increases the risk of cervical cancer. Herpes is also caused by a virus, and those infected sometimes experience mild or no symptoms. The number of warts and herpes infections diagnosed in North Somerset patients attending genito-urinary medicine clinics increased between 2009 and 2010 although gonorrhoea cases fell (see Table 2). Many of these infections are also diagnosed in other health care settings such as GP practices, so the true figure will be higher. The number diagnosed in other settings is unknown. Table 2: Number and rate of warts, herpes and gonorrhoea in North Somerset and England (2009 and 2010) 2009 2010 North Somerset England North Somerset England Number Rate per 100,000 Rate per 100,000 Number Rate per 100,000 Rate per 100,000 Warts 202 96.6 144.3 240 141.5 141.7 Herpes 128 61.2 48.4 140 67.0 52.9 Gonorrhoea 43 20.6 27.8 16 7.7 28.0 Source: Health Protection Agency. Genito-Urinary Medicine Clinic Activity Dataset (GUMCAD) 5
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Director of Public Health Annual Report 2011 - NHS North Somerset

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