As the world finishes marking Sexual Health Week today, Malta needs to look at a more holistic approach to effectively combat the rising trends of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV, according to Charmaine Gauci, Superintendent of Public Health.
Dr Gauci said work needed to be done to reach the whole population, possibly even through partnering with NGOs working with key populations at risk.
Statistics still reveal chlamydia as being the commonest STI in Malta, followed by gonorrhoea.
With Malta scoring the third highest rate of new HIV diagnosis across the EU last year, has the situation seen any improvement?
Although no definite statistics are yet available, Dr Gauci does not believe that this is likely. “We are analysing trends, and it seems we are in the same situation.”
The increase in new HIV cases being picked up every year does not necessarily reflect an increase in actual cases, she points out.
The GU clinic at Mater Dei Hospital currently sees 600 patients a month on average
“The increase can also be attributed to the fact that more people are aware of the risk and are coming forward for testing.”
But the rise is likely to be also linked to increased sexual activity, multiple partners and higher use of alcohol and drugs that diminish one’s capability of engaging in safe sex.
The GU clinic at Mater Dei Hospital sees 600 patients a month on average. It is estimated that one-third have positive results, including STIs that need to be notified to health authorities by law. The clinic offers a completely anonymous service by trained staff.
The youngest patient so far was 12 years old. The consent of parents is not necessary in the case of minors – adolescents can be seen by a doctor without their parents being present or informed.
Dr Gauci believes that education of younger people remains key in the fight against STIs.
“We need to speak about sexual health matters in educational settings more, and we need to instil in children from a young age the need to be responsible for their actions, and to take care of their sexual health and that of their partners while providing them with the information and skills they require.”
Under Malta’s sexual health policy, which was launched in 2011, areas of action for the control of HIV and STIs include prevention, especially targeting men-on-men sexual relationships, migrants, people who inject drugs and people with multiple partners, as well as testing and treatment.
The national system recently came under fire from HIV awareness activist Mark Josef Rapa, who accused Maltese doctors of prescribing “outdated” drug regiments for HIV, adding that some patients were being prescribed up to six tablets a day when, in most countries one pill is enough to keep the condition under control.