Sexually-transmitted diseases
There were 234 reports of sexually-transmitted diseases last year, Health Minister Joseph Cassar told Parliament.
Answering a question by Labour MP Anthony Agius Decelis, Dr Cassar said these included 138 cases of Chlamydia, 47 of gonorrhoea, 25 of syphilis, 18 of HIV and six of Aids.
Compared to 2009, the figures showed increases of 32 cases of Chlamydia, six of syphilis and four of Aids, as well as a drop of 16 cases of gonorrhoea. Cases of HIV had remained static.
Dr Cassar said that because the reported figures were relatively small, it was impossible to comment on statistically-valid increases, but it appeared that the results here were in line with international trends.
To another question by Mr Agius Decelis, the minister said the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate was planning to continue running educational campaigns on the prevention of sexually-transmitted diseases.
The department was also organising campaigns as part of the action plan being drawn up by all parties concerned for the enactment of the national sexual health policy.
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Mark Curtis
Feb 9th 2011, 09:19
Have an STD? There are over 70 million people at POZmingle. com the same as you. It's common to feel guilty or ashamed when you are diagnosed with H+. You may feel that your sex life is ruined or that someone you thought you could trust has hurt you. You may feel sad or upset. Keep in mind that you are one of millions of people who have it. You're Not Alone.
Kenneth Galea
Feb 8th 2011, 22:17
HIV effects everybody regardless of nationality. I am surprised to note the increase in AIDS cases. Malta's population increased in the last few years, therefore the sexual health clinic services need to be better prepared and better equipped to deal with the problem.
Wilfred Camilleri
Feb 8th 2011, 17:45
Oh well, many Maltese want to be like the rest of the world and not live in the dark ages.
m farrugia
Feb 8th 2011, 15:30
according to results in the US 70% of HIV positives are of sex between gays ( man on man ) . It will be interesting if local results are being done in a more detailed way
Claudia Borg
Feb 8th 2011, 19:23
where on earth do you get your statistics from??
In 2008, the latest US statistics that I could find in a 2 min google search yielded that 57% of HIV infections resulted from Male-to-Male (both sexual, 55%, and drug use, 2%) contact, whilst 32% of HIV infections resulted from hetrosexual contact. The remain 10% is from drug use, and 1% classified as other.
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/basic.htm
What I find of grave concern, is that even here in the Times, the article is the last on list, as though it is echoing the importance that we as a nation give to sexual health, sexual policy, and STDs. When are we going to see massive campaigns that are seriously needed to encourage condom use? When are we going to get our heads out of the sand and stop being so ignorant and arrogant about these very serious issues??!! How many of our sexually active youths are getting themselves checked for STDs???
Joe Demanuele
Feb 8th 2011, 11:15
It would have been interesting to know how many of those infected are foreigners and their nationality.
Sean Grima
Feb 8th 2011, 13:09
what difference does it make to you? would you not use a condom because the partner is not a foreigner?
edwin formosa
Feb 8th 2011, 10:30
Soon we’ll be reading about condoms, sex-education.........and finish with the Pope and the
Catholic Church especially in Malta. But this is what an expert on the subject, who is a self professed agnostic, had to say on this subject . He is Edward C. Green, director of the AIDS Prevention Research Project at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies.
"The pope is correct or put it a better way, the best evidence we have supports the pope's comments.
There is a consistent association shown by our best studies, including the U.S.-funded 'Demographic Health Surveys,' between greater availability and use of condoms and higher (not lower) HIV-infection rates. This may be due in part to a phenomenon known as risk compensation, meaning that when one uses a risk-reduction 'technology' such as condoms, one often loses the benefit (reduction in risk) by 'compensating' or taking greater chances than one would take without the risk-reduction technology.”
There is no need for Mr Green to tell us that condom availability promotes sexual promiscuity by encouraging the irrisponaible exercise of sexuality which is the cause of STD
Sean Grima
Feb 8th 2011, 13:11
STDs have been around much longer than condoms. people have more sex because social interaction is easier nowadays: they would still have sex if a condom were not available. this is like saying that safer driving encourages more people to use cars!
Twannie Chircop
Feb 8th 2011, 15:29
Sean Grima for your information the Romans used to use a type of condom and examples have been found of even older ones.
joseph agius
Feb 8th 2011, 15:49
the truth in the US ....
http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/docs/FastFacts-MSM-FINAL508COMP.pdf
Sean Grima
Feb 8th 2011, 22:07
yep, twanny is right... people realised sex is a double edged sword from the dawn of man!