Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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569. To ask the Minister for Health the measures being taken by the Health Service Executive to ensure that the increase in chlamydia and gonorrhoea rates amongst the young adults here is tackled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40423/13]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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570. To ask the Minister for Health if his Department and the Health Service Executive is working with the various stakeholders, general practitioners, hospitals, youth organisations, family planning organisations and industry involved in tacking STIs to agree a plan to stop the increase in these dangerous diseases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40424/13]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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571. To ask the Minister for Health the number of women tested for chlamydia in 2010, 2011 and 2012; the steps being taken to increase the uptake of chlamydia screening among men and women including ethnic minorities and men having sex with men; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40425/13]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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572. To ask the Minister for Health if young adults have adequate access to information on sexual health testing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40426/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 569, 570, 571 and 572 together.

The Deputy may be aware that in response to the rising rates of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) a high level steering group was set up by my Department to oversee the drafting of a National Sexual Health Strategy. The Strategy will formulate a strategic direction for the delivery of sexual health services. The plan will focus on improving sexual health and wellbeing and address the surveillance, testing, treatment and prevention of HIV and STIs, crisis pregnancy, and sexual health education and promotion. The Strategy will be in line with Healthy Ireland and is nearing completion. It will be submitted to Government upon completion.

In the meantime the HSE Crisis Pregnancy Programme is involved in a number of initiatives to educate young people about how to prevent STIs.

The Programme has been running the “Think Contraception” campaign, a national communications campaign since 2004, which aims to encourage consistent contraceptive use among young people (18-25). In 2011, in recognition of the increasing rates of STIs and the concerns expressed by professionals both within the HSE and in the wider community, the Programme re-developed its Think Contraception campaign to focus on condom use specifically with the tagline “Johnny’s Got You Covered”, as research has shown that condoms are the most commonly used method of contraception among young people and are effective in preventing unplanned pregnancy and STI infection.

Campaign elements include television advertising, poster advertising, online advertising, an information leaflet in addition to a Facebook page and Twitter account. There is an accompanying promotional campaign that involves the distribution of a “Protection pack” that includes a condom and sexual health material to young people in colleges, at music events and outside pubs and clubs. Approximately 100,000 protection packs are distributed annually.

The campaign website www.thinkcontraception.ie has information on all STIs and a video on how to use condoms correctly. It also has a comprehensive list of STI testing services. The website receives approximately 80,000 visits per year. The Think Contraception Leaflet is distributed through a national network of GP surgeries and through pharmacies. Think Contraception information resources are freely available via www.healthpromotion.ie .

The Programme has worked with the Department of Education and Skills on the production of a set of lesson plans to support the implementation of the Relationships and Sexuality Education programme at senior cycle level. The TRUST Resource, available to schools and youth workers since 2009, contains a 40 minute DVD, and a set of 21 lesson plans. Two lesson plans focus on how STIs are transmitted and how young people can act responsibly to reduce the risks of contracting an STI. It also contains a list of STI testing services that teachers can photocopy for young people.

The Programme also developed a website for teenagers, their parents, teachers and youth workers, www.b4udecide.ie which aims to encourage young people to delay early sex and to make healthy, responsible decisions about relationships and sexual health.

In addition testing for Chlamydia and other STIs are available free of charge to all through the public health system. These are provided in consultant led settings in the major urban centres in Ireland (see table below) as well as a number of GP-led clinics targeting specific risk groups such as men who have sex with men and sex workers.

Surveillance data of STIs are collected by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). The most recent year for which annual figures are available is 2011. Annual figures for 2012 are currently being compiled and will be published within the coming weeks. There were 13,259 STI notifications in 2011, an increase of 12.2% compared with 2010. As in previous years, Chlamydia was the most common STI in Ireland in 2011, accounting for 48.3% of all STI notifications. Chlamydia was more frequently reported among women (53.8%) than men (43.1%), continuing the trend seen in previous years. Chlamydia is most frequently reported in those aged 20-29 years (65.1%). There has been a slight increase in notifications in those aged 30 years and older since 2009. In recent years, rates of STIs appear to be increasing. Some of the increases may, however, be a reflection of better surveillance and more effective detection.

STI screening is provided free of charge in the following sites: