25% of young men attending a new community sexual health clinic, run by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in the heart of Brixton, have tested positive for a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
The figures, which cover the six months from January to June 2004, show why improving access to sexual health services for young men is so important.
The statistics, which are released as Sexual Health Week is launched nationally today (August 2), are particularly relevant as South East London has some of the UK’s highest rates of sexually transmitted infections and teenage pregnancies.
The 374 Clinic opened its doors in the ethnically diverse area of Brixton in January this year to provide men under 25 with a free drop-in sexual health clinic where they can see male healthcare professionals, be screened for a range of sexually transmitted infections and pick up free condoms.
The clinic runs every Tuesday afternoon and aims to be as convenient for young men as possible by being right in the centre of the community at the Brixton Brook centre and by operating an open door policy.
One patient said: “It is very good that there is a clinic in Brixton so local people don’t have to travel so far. The staff are friendly and top marks for the service.”
The strategy is already proving successful as approximately 120 men have now attended the clinic and almost all have taken the opportunity to be tested for STIs, many of whom had no symptoms. Screening is a vital part of controlling STIs as detecting that a young man has an infection allows him and his partner to get treatment. In some cases women don’t have symptoms of their STIs and only discover they are carrying one when a male partner develops symptoms.
Targeting young men under 25 is also important to help reduce infection rates, as recent Health Protection Agency figures show that men aged between 20 and 24 have the highest rates of infection for sexually transmitted infections like chlamydia and genital warts.