Chlamydia knowledge 'increasing'
More people are becoming aware of the STI chlamydia
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Monday, 29, Oct 2007 12:20
Awareness about the sexually transmitted infection (STI) chlamydia has increased sharply in the last six years, government statistics have revealed.
According to information released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), in 2000/01 just 35 per cent of men and 65 per cent of women knew that chlamydia was a STI.
By 2006/07 this had risen to 84 per cent and 92 per cent of men and women respectively.
Chlamydia is the most common STI in England but at least 50 per cent of infected men and 70 per cent of infected women do not have any symptoms.
Sexually active women aged under 25 have a one in ten chance of getting chlamydia and men who are aged between 20 and 30 are most at risk of becoming infected.
If left untreated, it can lead to serious reproductive and other health problems including pelvic inflammatory disease.
Despite the increasing awareness of chlamydia, just 41 per cent of women and 25 per cent of men know the symptoms of the STI.
The ONS also revealed that about a quarter of women have had a test for chlamydia at some point in the past.
Its statistics are based on a survey of women aged 16 to 49 and men aged 16 to 69 by the Information Centre for Health and Social Care.
Respondents said television programmes were their primary source of information (29 per cent) followed by television adverts (24 per cent), newspapers, magazines or books (20 per cent).