Safe sex message is not getting to teens

Britain

About 30,000 adults in Britain are infected with HIV, which amounts to a prevalence of about 1 in 1,000 for those aged between 15 and 49, the most sexually active population.

About 30,000 adults in Britain are infected with HIV, which amounts to a prevalence of about 1 in 1,000 for those aged between 15 and 49, the most sexually active population.

And, worryingly, the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases, such as gonorrhoea and syphilis, has increased in the 16 to 19 age group, indicating that the safe-sex message is failing to get through to young people at risk of HIV.

Last year saw the biggest increase of any year in newly diagnosed infections. This is thought to be partly due to a campaign to encourage heterosexuals to take an HIV test in order to receive anti-viral drugs.

Although heterosexual transmission of HIV is rising, the biggest risk groups are still homosexuals and intravenous drug users, according to the government's Public Health Laboratory Service. Angus Nichol, the acting director of the service's communicable disease surveillance centre in Collingdale, north London, said: "In addition, we know that the numbers of people living with diagnosed HIV infection are increasing by at least 10 per cent per annum and with them the cost to the country of treatment and care,"

"This is a worrying figure. Although the 1 in 1,000 figure is much lower than, for example, countries in sub-Saharan Africa where the epidemic is extremely severe and prevalence in this age group has reached one in five or even higher, there is no cause for complacency."

"HIV is an entirely preventable infection, and yet new infections continue to occur," he said. "Despite the advent of new drug therapies which have been successful in many cases in slowing the progression of HIV disease and preventing death, there is still no cure."

Levels of HIV in heterosexuals are disproportionately high among black Africans living in Britain. "They and other HIV-infected heterosexuals have been less able to make use of diagnosis and care services. It is important that prevention services are given high priority for this group," said the service.