HC Deb 08 September 2003 vol 410 cc229-31W
Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are employed in sexual health within the NHS. [127656]

Mr. Hutton

Within a hospital medical setting, sexual health is generally covered by the genito-urinary medicine specialty.

The number of hospital and community health services medical staff specialising in genito-urinary medicine is shown in the table.

Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS): hospital and CHS medical staff with a specialty in genito-urinary medicine
England, as at 30 September 2002 Number (headcount)
All staff 866
of which:
Consultants 274

Source:

Department of Health medical and dental workforce census.

General practitioners and nurses are also involved in sexual health issues, as are other health professionals in, for example, family planning clinics. The Department does not collect specific data on the numbers of such staff working in the national health service.

Mr. Burns

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department(a) has taken over the last 12 months and (b) plans to take over the next 12 months to stress the importance of sexual health; and what impact such measures have had thus far. [127458]

Miss Melanie Johnson

The Department of Health is continuing to implement the Government's National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV, and details of the actions being taken are contained in the National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV Implementation Action Plan. Progress on the Strategy's implementation will be monitored by the recently established independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health. The Health Select Committee has recently published its report on Sexual Health and the Government's response to its recommendations will be published shortly.

Mr. Moss

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the percentage increase in(a) HIV, (b) chlamydia, (c) syphilis and (d) genital warts was in the last year for which figures are available for (i) Fenland and East Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trust and (ii) East Anglia, broken down by (A) sex and (B) those aged (1) 15 and under, (2) 16–19, (3) 20–25, (4) 25–35 and (5) over 35. [127958]

Dr. Ladyman

This information is not held centrally.

Mr. Burns

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were diagnosed as suffering from a sexually transmitted infection in(a) 2002, (b) 2000, (c) 1995, (d) 1990, (e) 1985 and (f) 1980. [127455]

Miss Melanie Johnson

Data on diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (STI) made within genito-urinary medicine clinics in England for the years 1990 to 2002, plus 1985 and 1980, are listed. These do not include STI diagnoses or treatments made within a primary care setting, for which we do not hold data centrally.

Number
2002 644,399
2001 608,726
2000 570,072
1999 533,790
1998 506,908
1997 481,892
1996 451,903
1995 428,938
1994 390,876
1993 363,806
1992 372,282
1991 379,098
1990 367,256
1985 1362,700
1980 2288,000
1Approximation, based on total UK data of 398,547.
2Approximation, based on total UK data of 316,548

The Government's 10 year National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV, launched in 2001, the first ever national strategy for sexual health, is to tackle these rising rates of infections and modernise and improve access to sexual health services.

Mr. Burns

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women suffered from(a) syphilis and (b) gonorrhoea (i) in 1997 and (ii) on the latest date for which figures are available. [127456]

Miss Melanie Johnson

The number of people diagnosed with syphilis and gonorrhoea are shown in the table.

Year Male Female
Syphilis (primary and secondary) 1997 98 49
2002 1,062 137
Uncomplicated gonorrhoea 1997 8,418 3,981
2002 16,980 7,417

Note:

Diagnoses in genitourinary medicine clinics only. Data not held centrally on diagnoses in primary care settings.

The Government's ten year National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV, launched in 2001, is designed to tackle these rising rates of infections and modernise and improve access to sexual health services.

Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding is being dedicated to campaigns raising awareness in England of(a) sexually transmitted diseases and (b) HIV and Aids in 2003–04 and is planned for 2004–05. [127546]

Miss Melanie Johnson

The Department of Health has allocated £3.25 million in 2003–04 for work to prevent, and raise awareness of, sexually transmitted infections, which includes the national 'Sex Lottery' campaign (which also includes information on HIV). In addition, £1.85 million has been allocated specifically for HIV and AIDS prevention and awareness raising activities. In addition, primary care trusts are responsible for meeting the sexual health promotion needs of their local populations and this work is funded from mainstream National Health Service allocations and therefore details of expenditure are not held centrally.

Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the incidence is of sexually transmitted diseases in England in(a) school-aged children and (b) adults over the age of 50 years. [127548]

Miss Melanie Johnson

Centrally held data are available for the following five sexually transmitted infections, broken down according to these age groups.

Condition 15 and

under

 16–19 45 plus
Primary and secondary infectious syphilis 4 67 234
Uncomplicated gonorrhoea 1,216 17,654 4,487
Anogenital herpes simplex—first attack 643 11,628 6,259
Anogenital warts—first attack 2,802 59,189 14,739
Uncomplicated chlamydial infection 3,914 67,714 4,793

Source:

Health Protection Agency