Sexual Health Mr. Lansley To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress she is making towards the target announced in her Department’s National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV of 27 July 2001 (a) that 60 per cent. of all genito-urinary medicine clinic attenders should take an HIV test and (b) to reduce the number of newly acquired HIV infections by 25 per cent. by the end of 2007. Caroline Flint The targets announced in the sexual health and HIV strategy became national standards in 2002, in line with ‘Shifting the Balance of Power’ and the need to minimise the number of centrally determined targets. Genito-urinary medicine clinics achieved an uptake rate for HIV testing of 66 per cent. in 2004 and 70 per cent. in 2005, which exceeded the national standard. Newly acquired (incident) HIV infections in the United Kingdom occur primarily in gay and bisexual men. Incidence in this group is monitored through unlinked anonymous surveillance of those with previously undiagnosed HIV infection attending a sample of genito-urinary medicine clinics. This surveillance indicates that the level of new infections has been stable since 2001, when the incidence standard was set. Anne Main To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) targets have been set and (b) budgets have been allocated for testing for sexually transmitted infections in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. Caroline Flint Sexual health is a higher priority now than it has ever been. It is one of the top six priorities for the NHS in 2006-07 and was a key feature of the Public Health White Paper “Choosing Health: Making healthy choices easier”, copies of which are available in the Library. The “Choosing Health” White Paper introduced strengthened performance management for sexual health. In particular, NHS local delivery plan (LDP) targets have been introduced for: 100 per cent. of patients attending a genito-urinary medicine (GUM) service to be offered an appointment to be seen within 48 hours of contacting a service, by March 2008; decrease in the rates of new diagnoses of gonorrhoea; and percentage of people aged 15 to 24 accepting chlamydia screening. We are making good progress on the GUM target. Already 65 per cent. of patients are seen within 48 hours. This compares with 48 per cent. in August 2005. The number of new cases of gonorrhoea fell by 13 per cent. in 2005. This is particularly significant given the previous 10 per cent. fall in cases from 2003 to 2004, and with fewer cases reported across all English regions. The chlamydia LDP target will be introduced in 2007-08. Sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment is funded through general allocations and is not separately identified. In addition, primary care trusts (PCTs) received funding for implementing the targets in the White Paper “Choosing Health: making healthy choices easier”. PCT revenue allocations separately identify funding to support the implementation of “Choosing Health”. It is for PCTs to determine how to use the funding allocated to them to commission services to meet the healthcare needs of their local populations. Alan Simpson To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many 15 to 18 year olds in Nottingham Primary Care Trust area (a) had abortions and (b) were diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections in each of the last five years. Caroline Flint The available information is set out in the following tables. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |2002|2003|2004|2005| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Total aged under 19 years old |197 |192 |206 |185 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Notes:1. Information by PCT is not available prior to 2002.2. For reasons of confidentiality, at PCT level, the total number for 15 to18-year-olds can not be released separately from the under 19 total.| | | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |2001|2002|2003|2004|2005| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Females |519 |602 |594 |536 |525 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Males |187 |200 |207 |234 |244 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Total |706 |802 |801 |770 |769 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Notes:1. Selected STIs where age groups were available include primary and secondary syphilis, uncomplicated gonorrhoea, uncomplicated chlamydia, genital warts (first attack) and genital herpes (first attack).2. Data on the age band 15 to 18 are not collected centrally.| | | | | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. Shepherd To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2007, Official Report, column 2048W, on sexual health, how many girls (a) under the age of 15 and (b) aged 15 to 18 years (i) had abortions, (ii) gave birth and (iii) were diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections in Walsall Primary Care Trust area in each year between 1999 and 2005. Caroline Flint The available information is shown in the following tables. Figures are provided on number of conceptions leading to maternities and abortions for girls aged under 16 and girls aged under 18 from 1999 to 2004 (latest year for which figures are available) so that meaningful comparisons can be made on number of abortions and maternities that occur each year by age of woman. Conceptions data for girls aged under 15 and 15-18 are not readily available by primary care trust (PCT) and can be provided only at a disproportionate cost. In addition, figures for girls aged under 15 are likely to be very small at PCT level and hence would not be provided to preserve individuals’ confidentiality. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Conceptions leading to maternity|Conceptions leading to abortion|Total conceptions| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Girls aged under 16 year| | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1999 |42 |28 |70 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2000 |33 |24 |57 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2001 |30 |31 |61 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2002 |30 |24 |54 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2003 |24 |27 |51 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2004 |21 |17 |38 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Girls aged under 18 | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1999 |223 |100 |323 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2000 |199 |107 |306 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2001 |184 |106 |290 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2002 |223 |110 |333 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2003 |205 |106 |311 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2004 |174 |77 |251 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Females under 20| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1999 |141 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2000 |130 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2001 |130 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2002 |195 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2003 |154 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2004 |141 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2005 |208 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Note:Selected STIs include: infectious syphilis, uncomplicated gonorrhoea, anogenital herpes simplex (first attack), anogenital warts (first attack) and uncomplicated chlamydial infection.Source:Data in these tables are derived from statistical returns compiled at GUM clinics on the KC60 form (Health Protection Agency).| | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------