The rate of syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease, has reached a record high this year, according to the latest figures of the Genitourinary Clinic.

A total of 33 people came forward with this infection during the first 10 months, up from 25 cases last year. The number of cases has been increasing each year.

Many people infected with syphilis do not have any symptoms for years, yet remain at risk for late complications if they are not treated. This means transmission may occur from persons who are unaware of their infection.

GU Clinic consultant Philip Carabot believes the increase is mostly due to anonymous sex such as hooking up with somebody over the internet, or “cruising”.

“Some patients are leading highly promiscuous lifestyles. Whatever figures I give are just the tip of the iceberg. There is a whole reservoir of infections in the community,” Dr Carabot told The Times.

Figures over a 10-year period – 2000 to 2010 – repeatedly show complete disregard to any form of contraception, with an average of 75 per cent of clinic clients admitting to never using a condom, 20 per cent saying they use it “sometimes”, and a mere 15 per cent claiming to use them consistently.

These figures tie in with the fact that an average of 42.5 of those who attended the GU Clinic described their partner as “casual”.

Dr Carabot said apart from these dire figures, one of the problems he encountered was encouraging clients to trace the person they had slept with to come forward for treatment and stop spreading the disease.

“There is a don’t-care-attitude and an apathy to trace their partners,” he said.