The number of people living with HIV and other sexual infections continues to rise as gay men and young people fail to heed the warnings of prevention campaigns about safe sex, it was revealed yesterday.
Consistent condom use could solve the problem, but, said Professor Peter Boriello, director of the Health Protection Agency's centre for infections, which produced the figures, "we are talking about how you change behaviour. It is not straightforward.
"People do need to take responsibility. Condoms do need to be considered the seatbelts of sexual relationships."
Government campaigns appear to have had limited impact, because sexual health has worsened in 2006, the last year for which the HPA has figures, particularly among young men and women. There have been increases in cases of sexually transmitted herpes and wart viruses, and one in 10 young adults screened for chlamydia through the national programme tested positive.
Young people, particularly 16- to 19-year-old women and 20- to 24-year-old men, are "a very high risk group for sexually transmitted infections," said Dr Valerie Delpech, head of the HIV and STI department at the centre for infections. She said it was important to try to get messages about safe sex through to this age group, "about using condoms with new partners in particular and looking to get tested for HIV and other STIs if in a new relationship. There is a responsibility on individuals and I think we need to emphasise that."
The rate at which people are acquiring HIV in the UK appears to have slowed slightly. Although not all the data is in, it is expected that new diagnoses last year will total 7,800. That is a small drop on the 7,900 new diagnoses for 2005, bringing the total living with HIV in the UK to more than 73,000.
But the HPA saw no cause for celebration, because new infections were still rising among at-risk groups, and in particular among gay men. There were 2,700 new HIV diagnoses among gay men in 2006 and rises also in other sexually transmitted infections. More gay men have been tested, but, said the HPA, there is no suggestion that the underlying infection rate has dropped and every sign that risky, unprotected sex is widespread.
HIV infections from heterosexual sex have also risen, although not on the same scale. In 2006, there were an estimated 750 new diagnoses, compared with 700 the previous year and 500 in 2003.
The HPA said there was some good news: the amount of testing had risen and waiting times for an appointment at an STI clinic had been reduced. By August, 85% of people were getting an appointment within 48 hours.
Campaigning groups called for more resources to be put into prevention campaigns. "We need more investment in HIV prevention, more HIV testing in local communities and stronger national leadership," said Nick Partridge, chief executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust.
Deborah Jack, chief executive of the National Aids Trust, said: "Whilst global figures show some countries are making progress, the UK is consistently failing. Gordon Brown needs to match his commitment to tackling HIV internationally with real action at home."
