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78
present society has a greater proportion of young people who consider
extended sexual activity an indispensable part of communal
living a facet of behaviour which is seen not only in student relationships
at university but which is becoming more evident in
the teenage groups and therefore in the ordinary schools where
stable associations are unlikely. Although relatively few in number,
cases in school children exhibit a disturbing rise especially
among girls. Under 16 years infections in boys numbered 80 and
in girls 395 figures indicating rises of 11% and 20% respectively.
Over the last four years the rate for girls in this age group has
doubled as has that for females of 16 and 17 years.
At 46,075, non-gonococcal urethritis in males was almost 13%
higher than the previous year thus continuing the trend evident
since this category was first recorded in 1951. Other conditions
requiring treatment, including trichomoniasis, amounted to 84,451,
an increase of 18.8% over 1969.
As some G.P.S still treat venereal disease, hospital clinic statistics
are not entirely a true reflection of the incidence. Attempts by the
B.M.A. to estimate these "lost" numbers have been largely abortive
but it is thought that syphilis cases could be as much as 25%
higher and those of gonorrhoea and non-gonococcal urethritis by
15%.
In recent years, a climate of opinion has developed which
favours sexual licence thereby facilitating the spread of sexually
acquired disease. Popularity of the female contraceptive pill
which predisposes female genitalia to certain infections and a
corresponding reduction in the use of the condom, an effective
barrier to contamination, also constitute important elements in
this pandemic situation. Other factors involved in the spread are
homosexuals, immigrants and travellers, all of whom have their
own peculiar effects on the problem.
In Britain, venereology is a speciality and its services the best
in the world but, even so, control of sexually transmitted disease
has not been achieved. Without question, in a society where
sexual continence is practised, control would be relatively easy
but, despite the modern emphasis on sex education, venereal
diseases are increasing—the mere imparting of knowledge is plainly
no deterrent. Paradoxically this education, introduced for preventive
reasons has, in part, been responsible for drawing attention
to the national shortage of specialists in this field. After specific
publicity and following pointed education sessions many people
are stimulated to attend centres seeking assurance or for genital
conditions not sexually acquired and this has overloaded many
clinics and brought their services to saturation point. Clearly,