Sexually transmitted Infections and Young People in the United Kingdom: 2008 Report

Synopsis

Key findings

• Young people (aged 16-24 year sold) are the age group most at risk of being diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection, accounting for 65% of all chlamydia, 50% of genital warts and 50% of gonorrhoea infections diagnosed in genitourinary medicine clinics across the UK in 2007.
• The most common sexually transmitted infection in young people is genital chlamydia. The National Chlamydia Screening Programme in England performed 270,729 screens in under 25 year olds in 2007: 9.5% of screens in women and 8.4% in men were positive for chlamydia. A further 79,557 diagnoses of genital Chlamydia infection were made among young people in genitourinary medicine clinics in the UK in 2007, (a rate of 1,102 per100,000 16-24 year olds), a rise of 7% on 2006.
• Genital warts were the second most commonly diagnosed sexually transmitted infection among young people in genitourinary medicine clinics, with 49,250 cases diagnosed in 2007 (682 per 100,000), a 8% rise on 2006.
• In 2007,702 young people were diagnosed with HIV,  representing 11% of all new HIV diagnoses. Young men who have sex with men remain the group of young people most at risk of acquiring HIV in the UK.
• Increases in diagnoses reflect greater ascertainment of cases through more testing and improved diagnostic methods, as well as indicating increased unsafe sexual behaviour among young people.

Additional information

Last reviewed: 21 August 2008