New figures show scale of Southampton's sexual health time bomb

12.00.00am GMT Wed 26th Nov 2008

Sandra Gidley MP

City MP, Sandra Gidley has obtained new figures which show that only one in twenty 16-25 year olds in Southampton has been screened for Chlamydia - a disease which now affects 1 in 10 of the same age group.

This means that, on average, there will be 2,500 16-25 year olds who are living within the city who are affected without knowing it.

The news also comes after an announcement that girls as young as 13 could soon receive long term contraceptive injections at school as part of plans to curb Southampton's high teenage pregnancy rates.

Commenting today from Westminster, Sandra said:

"Southampton is already the teenage pregnancy capital of the South. Unless action is taken now, it will soon be the teenage STI capital of the South.

"Last week's announcement on a contraceptive injection to girls as young as 13 will only make the situation worse. Whilst it may bring down the rates of teenage pregnancy, it will only make more teenagers think that they are safe to have unprotected sex.

"Chlamydia is extremely serious - both in boys and girls. It shows no real symptoms but can cause infertility, or if undetected during childbirth, can cause blindness in a newborn baby.

"I urge anyone who is sexually active between the ages of 16-25, and who has not been screened for Chlamydia, to get themselves tested immediately.

"If young people are having sex at such a young age they must be informed about the risks involved and about the safe framework of a relationship. That's the only way to stop this time bomb going off."