Fiona O'Malley (Dún Laoghaire, Progressive Democrats)

I am grateful for the opportunity to discuss the need for a national sexual health strategy and I always take the opportunity to do so when it arises. I have been afforded the opportunity this week because it is National Condom Week.

Fewer than 100 people have died worldwide of the avian flu virus, yet the international community is galvanised in an extraordinary way to tackle it. The Government has put together a plan in this regard involving the Ministers for Health and Children, Agriculture and Food, and Finance. This is commendable, but the approach to sexually transmitted diseases is not so commendable.

Last month the Joint Committee on Health and Children heard from Dr. Susan Clarke, a consultant in the field of infectious diseases at St. James's Hospital, and the statistics she outlined are quite alarming. There has been an increase in the incidence of chlamydia in Ireland in the order of 2,000% in ten years, a 426% increase in the incidence of herpes in five years and a 45% increase in gonorrhea over two years. These figures are from 2003 and 2004. There was a 12% increase in the incidence of sexually transmitted infections. Dr. Clarke introduced her figures by issuing a caveat to the effect that these infections are widely recognised as under-reported. The increase in sexually transmitted infections represents a runaway problem despite the fact that a certain condom manufacturer is highlighting what can be achieved through condom use in protecting against sexually transmitted diseases, not to mention HIV and AIDS.

The usual suspects condemn any highlighting of increased use of condoms or sexual activity generally. Sexual health is the one area in which people are criticised for trying to inform and educate the public. The figures speak for themselves. It is high time we had a national sexual health strategy. The good news is that we do not need to reinvent the wheel. The Minister of State is probably aware that the former North Eastern Health Board had prepared a sexual health strategy. Much of the groundwork has, therefore, been done in this area and I hope, on foot of the alarming and unreported annual increases in sexually transmitted infections, we finally grasp the nettle.

Young people are looking for access to services and information that is presented in a non-judgmental way, but unfortunately they do not always get that. In an article in The Irish Times this week, a commentator stated it is most unfortunate that people are being asked to consider the use of condoms. The commentator is an individual with particular religious beliefs, which I respect, but it is not sensible to tell people not to use a product that is very effective in combating sexually transmitted diseases.

In the United Kingdom a group of young students has launched a campaign called Just Say Know. "Know" is rooted in the word "knowledge", which is what the students want. There is no point in keeping people in the dark about sexual activity. Statistics show how sexually active young people really are. Given that our population partly comprises such people, we need to face the reality and inform them.

A core element of the Just Say Know campaign is to demand from the UK Government services in both the education and health sectors. Those behind the campaign are perfectly right to do so. In any other area of health one is provided with the necessary information. Why are people not presented with information on sexual health? Is it because of our traditions and prudishness regarding the subject? I hope we can overcome this and consider seriously the development of a national sexual health strategy.

We need to be mature in our approach and it is important that we educate and protect the young. If we do not do so and fail to treat sexually transmitted diseases, many difficulties associated with infertility will arise. I hope, therefore, that the Minister will listen to my request to devise a national sexual health strategy.

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