A dramatic rise in the numbers of people presenting with sexually transmitted infections has plunged services into crisis, a leading consultant said yesterday.
Dr Fiona Mulcahy, a consultant in genito-urinary medicine at Dublin's St James's Hospital, said there was now a six-week waiting list for those with sexually transmitted infections wishing to be seen by a specialist.
Furthermore, there was an eight-week wait for people newly diagnosed with HIV to be seen at the hospital's genito-urinary clinic. Dr Mulcahy said the situation had become so serious the hospital may have to turn away patients newly diagnosed with HIV this year.
"We had 200 new HIV patients last year and we cannot take on the same number this year. We have decided the maximum we can take on this year is 100 and we have had 16 new cases already in January.
"There is a real crisis at the moment in providing a sexual health service. It has reached capacity and no capacity has been factored in for expanded needs in a changing society."
Her comments came as the latest figures on the numbers of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the State were issued by the National Disease Surveillance Centre. The figures show STIs increased by 10 per cent in the first six months of 2001 when compared to the same period in 2000. The largest increases were detected in syphilis which was up 1,233 per cent while the incidence of gonorrhoea was up almost 80 per cent and herpes up 36 per cent.
While the figures refer to infections notified during the first half of 2001, they are, a spokesman said, the most up-to-date statistics available.
However, Dr Mulcahy said last night the incidence of infections continued to rise in 2002. "Our total patient attendances for 2002 were over 21,000 compared to about 18,000 in 2001," she said.
Meanwhile, Dr Mary Cronin, a specialist in public health medicine with the National Disease Surveillance Centre, said the increases in reported cases of STIs reflected unsafe sexual practices as well as increased testing for Chlamydia infections.
In addition, an increase in cases of syphilis early in 2001 was, she said, primarily due to an outbreak among gay men in Dublin. Many gases of gonorrhoea are imported.
Dr Cronin urged those who were sexually active to practise safe sex, saying most sexually transmitted infections were preventable.
The NDSC figures show a total of 4,817 sexually transmitted infections were reported in the first half of 2001, an increase of 449 over the same period in 2000. Over half of all infections were reported in the Eastern Regional Health Authority Area and the majority were among males. The ages of most are unknown.
The three most common infections notified were ano-genital warts of which there were 2,085 cases, Chlamydia of which there were 754 and non-specific urethritis of which there were 821.
"It is worth noting that the total number of STIs notified in the first six months of 2001 is higher than the annual totals for each year from 1989 to 1995," Dr Cronin said. Many STIs, like Chlamydia, often have no signs or symptoms so it was important if somebody has put themselves at risk, they be checked out as soon as possible.