Statistics released by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) reveal that although young adults represent only 13 per cent of the region's population, they are most at risk of being diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection.

Research shows that the North East's 16 to 24-year-olds accounted for 73 per cent of chlamydia, 64 per cent of genital warts and 50 per cent of gonorrhoea infections diagnosed in genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics last year.

Across all age groups, the number of new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) diagnosed in the North East in 2007 increased by eight per cent on the previous year.

This compares with a UK increase of six per cent in the same period. In 2007, 15,872 new cases of STIs were diagnosed in North East GUM clinics – an increase from 14,660 in 2006.

But despite this increase, the rate of new diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections in the North East remains below the national average.

HPA North East regional director Dr John Woodhouse said: "Although the number of new diagnoses in GUM clinics continues to rise in the North East, the rate of STI infection diagnosed in the local population is still below the national figure, affecting 621 per 100,000 people regionally compared to 657 per 100,000 nationally."

The five most commonly diagnosed STIs locally and nationally continue to be chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, genital herpes and genital warts.
In 2007, the most commonly diagnosed STI in the North East was chlamydia.

Syphilis was the STI which increased the most, from 87 in 2006 to 122 in 2007, an increase of 40 per cent. Nationally figures have remained relatively stable.

Other local data shows herpes up 36 per cent locally, compared with a national increase of 20 per cent; gonorrhoea down for the fifth year running; and genital warts up 13 per cent, compared with a national reduction of seven per cent.

Dr Woodhouse added: "We know that the rise in new diagnoses partly reflects the increased availability of appointments at GUM clinic.

"We also know that the rise is related to more people coming forward for testing.

"However, we cannot rely on prompt diagnosis and treatment alone – a shift in behaviour is the only way that we will bring down this continued increase."