Figures released by a selection of NHC foundation trusts have shown that almost 1,000 under-16s in their care have been diagnosed with venereal diseases such as herpes, chlamydia and gonorrhoea in the past three years.
It was revealed that a boy as young as 11 needed hospital treatment after developing chlamydia, a boy of 12 was treated for genital warts and herpes and a 12 year old girl was treated for herpes.
Since 2008, there have been 46 children aged 13 who have received treatment for STIs, the Daily Mirror reported. In addition, 200 14 year olds have been treated for infections and 602 15 years olds.
The new figures come as no surprise to health care professionals. Figures released last year by the Health Protection Agency showed that STI’s are on the rise amongst young people.The agency reported 482,696 cases in UK sexual health clinics in 2009, with teenagers and young adults accounting for the majority of the increase from the previous year.
According to the data, young women aged 19 and men aged between 20 and 23 are at the greatest risk of infection and of the 12,000 additional cases reported in that year, over two thirds were in women under 25. The figures also revealed that re-infection is a serious issue; with at least 11% of women and 12% of men aged 16 to 19 becoming re-infected with an STI within one year of being treated for a previous one.
Andrea Minichiello Williams, CEO of Christian Concern, said:
“Despite escalating rates of sexually transmitted diseases among young people, we are constantly told that more sex education for children is the solution.
“We need a radical change in the way we teach children about sex and relationships.Instead of teaching children about sexual purity, the importance of marriage and respect for parents, schools are put under pressure from the liberal establishment to teach moral relativism when it comes to sexual activity. Sex education today is not taught with any reference to moral values or the benefits of abstinence.
“In a country full of unplanned pregnancies, abortions, STD’s and familybreakdown, Christians have a strong argument that there is a better way.
“We can offer values and an education based on our Christian faith. We can teach children about the importance of marriage and the family. We can teach them about purity and how to respect who they are. We can teach them that abstinence before marriage is the best way. We can give them positive life lessons and help them to avoid some of the consequences of sexual promiscuity.”
Links
Daily Mirror: Children as young as 11 treated for sexual infections