The number of people tested at the sexual health clinic has tripled in recent years, according to official data.

The figures, tabled in Parliament by Health Minister Chris Fearne, show that the number of patients treated at the Genitourinary Clinic grew from about 1,800 annually in 2010 to nearly 5,500 last year.

This newspaper reported previously that the numbers in the years before 2006 were even lower, at fewer than 1,000.

The GU Clinic director, Valeska Padovese, told the Times of Malta yesterday the number of patients tested had risen from about 15 or even fewer daily to about 40.

“We have drastically cut the waiting list and are now able to treat walk-ins. We had one doctor, and now we have two and are able to see many more patients,” Dr Padovese said.

She explained that since taking over in 2015, she had increased the clinic’s efforts to contact patients testing positive as soon as possible, that is, those who turn out to actually be infected.

Catching patients sooner improves the chance of successful treatment

“This is encouraging more people to get tested, because catching patients sooner improves the chance of successful treatment. Word of mouth is helping us a lot here,” she said.

Outreach initiatives among youths and the gay community carried out in recent months have also proven successful in attracting more patients.

And it was not just ‘regular’ civilians that were being targeted.

Dr Padovese said a new clinic initiative was now targeting prison inmates, who often went untested.

She noted that about one in every three people tested at the clinic was found to be carrying some kind of sexual infection or disease.

According to Dr Padovese, most of the patients who visit the clinic are men, while women tend to prefer visiting their regular gynaecologist.

The majority of the clinic’s patients consist of individuals who are worried about infections transmitted to them by another person.

Last year, Mr Fearne said that he had asked the clinic to compile data after Dr Padovese started noticing a number of cases of sexually transmitted infections associated with unprotected sex with foreign nationals.

“The data will allow us to make evidence-based decisions. While ensuring patient confidentiality, if the evidence we gather warrants it, we will involve the police and screen all persons involved,” Mr Fearne said.

At the time, this newspaper reported a new trend of older men visiting the clinic for testing.

These patients, aged in their 60s and 70s, were normally married or divorced men. They confided that they had frequented one of the numerous massage parlours that were sprouting up across the island in search of sex, Dr Padovese explained.

About 19,000 people have visited the clinic since 2010.

More information about the Genitourinary Clinic is available through the website www.sexualhealth.gov.mt.