THE health district is battling “consistently high” rates of chlamydia among Wagga’s young people, with rates of infection 51 per cent higher than the state average.
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The latest figures reveal Wagga’s infection rate of 371 per 100,000 soars above the state average of 245 per 100,000 people.
Sexual health professionals blame a carefree culture among Wagga’s youth, which involves not using condoms and practicing safe sex, while dating apps such as Tinder and Grindr present new challenges.
Murrumbidgee Local Health District’s sexual health clinical nurse consultant, Alison Kincaid, said 41 per cent of 20 to 24 year olds tested positive for chlamydia in the year to last month.
The infection rate was slightly lower at 29 per cent among 15 to 19 year olds.
“Safe sex is not being practiced,” Ms Kincaid said.
“There are consistently high rates of chlamydia in young people 15 to 29 years of age. If you look at Wagga, it is way above the state average … it’s been running like that for a number of years.”
Ms Kincaid said “snap decisions” and the influence of drug and alcohol are key causes of unsafe sexual behaviour.
While having multiple sexual partners is part of the youth experience, she said, “hook-up” apps such as Tinder were changing the game.
“If we’re talking about Tinder, it’s just another way that people can meet for sex,” she said.
“What it means is we’re dealing with generations of young people in ways that we never thought were possible.”
Ms Kincaid stressed finger-pointing or blaming young people for returning a positive diagnosis was not helpful.
Instead, she said education was the most important tool and the use of a condom the easiest means of prevention.
An invisible infection, people with chlamydia don’t have any immediate symptoms. However, pain in the penis or vagina is often experienced at various times.
Chlamydia is easily treated with a course of antibiotics.