David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 89: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will provide the most recent figures on sexually transmitted infections; her views on whether further and urgent action is needed to prevent further increases; her plans for any such action; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4154/05]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The Health Protection Surveillance Centre recently published sexually transmitted infections, STIs, figures for quarter one of 2003. Some 2,664 cases of STIs were notified in Ireland during quarter one of 2003, compared with 2,541 notifications during quarter one of 2002, representing a 4.8% increase in STI notifications.

The three most commonly notified STIs in quarter one of 2003 were: ano-genital warts, 929 cases; non-specific urethritis, 560 cases; and chlamydia trachomatis, 525 cases. The highest increase reported in quarter one of 2003, compared with quarter one of 2002, was for infectious hepatitis B, up by 230%. The most significant decreases reported during quarter one of 2003, compared with quarter one of 2002, were for gonorrhoea, down by 16.67%, and syphilis, down by 8.2%. Table 1 gives details of all notified STIs for quarter one of 2003 and quarter one of 2002.

In terms of full year figures, the latest annual figures available from the HPSC show that 10,471 STIs were notified in 2002 compared with 9,703 in 2001, a 7.9% increase. Table 2 below gives details of all notified STIs for 2002 and 2001.

The report of the national AIDS strategy committee, NASC, which was published in 2000, makes a range of recommendations for dealing with STIs and HIV-AIDS. My Department, through the national AIDS strategy committee and its sub-committees on education and prevention, surveillance and care and management, is working to implement these recommendations. Specifically with regard to prevention, the health promotion unit of my Department is overseeing a wide range of activity at the research, strategy and programme level.

My Department is working with the Crisis Pregnancy Agency to undertake the first ever survey of sexual knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. The aim of this research is to gather reliable nationally representative baseline information that will build a representative national picture of sex and sexual behaviour in Ireland to inform the development of treatment and prevention services. The health promotion unit has also supported the development of a sexual health strategy within the north-west and southern areas of the Health Service Executive with a view to developing a national framework for sexual health promotion.

My Department is working with a wide range of partners to implement a comprehensive range of prevention programmes as recommended in the National Health Promotion Strategy 2000-2005 and the report of the national Aids strategy committee 2000. The following are some of the current priorities. In the school setting my Department is working in partnership with the Department of Education and Science and the Health Service Executive to support schools in the introduction and delivery of social, personal and health education at both primary and post-primary level. Relationships and sexuality education is an integral part of this curriculum and remains a key priority for this work with schools.

In the out of school setting the health promotion unit of my Department works in partnership with the youth affairs section of the Department of Education and Science and the National Youth Council of Ireland to implement the national youth health programme. The aim of the programme is to provide a broad based, flexible health promotion, education support and training service to youth organisations and to all those working with young people in the non-formal education sector. Within the context of this programme a new initiative, entitled "Sense and Sexuality", has been launched to support youth workers, addressing the issues of relationships, sexuality and sexual health with young people.

A national public awareness advertising campaign aimed at men and women in the 18 to 35 year age group has been developed to increase awareness about safe sex and sexually transmitted infections. The overall goal is to increase safe sex practices, reducing the incidence of STI transmission and unwanted pregnancies among young people in Ireland. The campaign runs in third level colleges, places of entertainment — pubs, clubs, discos and so forth — youth venues and some health centres. This national programme has been running for several years and a new and revised campaign is being implemented by the health promotion unit, which has greatly increased the number of venues targeted.

The health promotion unit also produces a range of awareness raising leaflets on STIs and safe sex practices.