Almost 500 screened for stis in cavan and monaghan last year

- Paul Neilan - 

The Cavan-Monaghan area of the HSE saw up to 500 people treated for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) last year and one consultant is especially urging young women in the region to get screened or risk infertility.
Dr Justin Low, HSE Infectious Diseases Consultant for the region, says that since the treatment programme began in the Border area the stigma about screening for STIs has slowly begun to recede, even though it took a full year for his clinic to see their first homosexual patient.
However, a recent study found that the resistant stigma over STIs was found to be greatest among young women from rural backgrounds and Dr Low is urging them to get checked for chlamydia even if there are no symptoms.
“The problem with chlamydia is that there is a long-term problem with fertility,” said Dr Low.
“It is the main cause of infertility in the world and in Ireland and this is especially important for young girls because 75% of them will have no symptoms, absolutely none, so they never really know until they get tested. In men, it doesn’t really cause infertility but it can cause serious harm in females.
“People might come in all nervous, anxious and shy to talk about it with their GP, who might be a family GP, so when they come in here there is no barrier because it’s a total stranger and by the time they leave it’s with a smile of relief and treatment and they get sorted.”
The Louth-based consultant says that acceptance of STI screening in everyday life and confidentiality is still the biggest issue for people in the Cavan-Monaghan region.
Of the most common infections seen at the hospitals in Monaghan, Drogheda and Dundalk, genital warts (40%) and chlamydia (five-10%) make up half of all of patients’ complaints.
The free clinics can be contacted on 086 824 1847 and has the fastest waiting list in the health service in under a week, with diagnoses and medication usually resolved in an hour upon being seen.

See this week's Celt for our detailed back page interview with Dr Long.