STI Surveillance: Annual Report 2003

Tuesday 7th September 2010

Contents

The 2003 annual report summaries STI data collected from 25 sexual health clinics (SHCs), 42 family planning clinics (FPCs) and 15 student and youth health clinics (SYHCs) across New Zealand. Data is supplemented by laboratory surveillance of chlamydia and gonorrhoea by 10 laboratories in the Waikato, Bay Of Plenty and Auckland regions. This represents two thirds of the microbiology laboratories in these areas.

  • Chlamydia trachomatis infections are now the most commonly diagnosed STI in New Zealand.
  • Over the past five years the number of confirmed chlamydia and gonorrhoea cases diagnosed at SHCs has increased by 65.5% and 57.0%, respectively.
  • Young people remain at high risk of STIs; 65% of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, genital herpes and genital warts diagnosed at SHCs are in those less than 25 years.
In the Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions, chlamydia rates in 2003 were six times higher than reported in Australia and four times higher than the UK (excluding Scotland). Gonorrhoea rates were double that reported in Australia and the UK (excluding Scotland).

Cautionary note:
This report summarises the epidemiology of STIs, using data from SHCs, FPCs, SYHCs and diagnostic laboratories in New Zealand. The figures presented here may underestimate true infection rates because not all clinics and laboratories participate and STIs diagnosed by a range of other health care providers, such as GPs, are not included in this report. It is also important to note the denominator used in calculating disease rates. Rates based on clinic data use the total number of clinic visits, whether for STIs or other conditions, as the denominator. Rates based on laboratory data use the total ‘usually resident’ population, in the District Health Boards covered by laboratory surveillance, from the 2001 New Zealand Census.

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Report:

STI Surveillance: Annual Report 2003
 

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STI Surveillance: Annual Report 2003

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