Rise in STDs among young Swedes: report
Sexually transmitted diseases gonorrhea and chlamydia are continuing to rise among Sweden’s young according to fresh figures from the Swedish Institute for Communicable Disease Control (Smittskyddsinstitutet).
During the first half of 2012, 590 cases of gonorrhea were reported, an increase by almost 50 percent compared to the same period last year. 170 of the infected were women. Scientists are now getting worried that multi-resistant bacteria could be spreading.
“There is such a thing as multi-resistant gonorrhea and if we get that here and it spreads, we may not have the antibiotics to cure it,” said epidemiologist Inga Velicko.
The infection is increasing in large numbers among young women from big city areas. Among men infected after sex with other men, the increase was 67 percent more than last year.
“The age groups in which the increase is most visible are among teenagers and young adults. They have unprotected sex with temporary partners, maybe change partner often and are generally not as good at using condoms,” said Velicko to TT.
Magnus Unemo, Swedish microbiologist and gonorrhea expert at the World Health Organization (WHO) is worried by the recent rise in gonorrhea cases in Sweden.
“It was believed for a while that we were close to eradicating gonorrhea but now wee see a major increase among heterosexuals and women. Under certain circumstances there is no cure for the disease and if women are infected the disease can spread on a large scale,” Unemo told TT.
WHO presented a new global action plan against gonorrhea, which is seen as a global health problem, in June. Experts say that medicines to combat the disease are becoming fewer and fewer.
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During the first half of 2012, 590 cases of gonorrhea were reported, an increase by almost 50 percent compared to the same period last year. 170 of the infected were women. Scientists are now getting worried that multi-resistant bacteria could be spreading.
“There is such a thing as multi-resistant gonorrhea and if we get that here and it spreads, we may not have the antibiotics to cure it,” said epidemiologist Inga Velicko.
The infection is increasing in large numbers among young women from big city areas. Among men infected after sex with other men, the increase was 67 percent more than last year.
“The age groups in which the increase is most visible are among teenagers and young adults. They have unprotected sex with temporary partners, maybe change partner often and are generally not as good at using condoms,” said Velicko to TT.
Magnus Unemo, Swedish microbiologist and gonorrhea expert at the World Health Organization (WHO) is worried by the recent rise in gonorrhea cases in Sweden.
“It was believed for a while that we were close to eradicating gonorrhea but now wee see a major increase among heterosexuals and women. Under certain circumstances there is no cure for the disease and if women are infected the disease can spread on a large scale,” Unemo told TT.
WHO presented a new global action plan against gonorrhea, which is seen as a global health problem, in June. Experts say that medicines to combat the disease are becoming fewer and fewer.
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