Irish Examiner: 33% fall in HIV and STI diagnoses, HSE figures show
Health experts have said lockdown restrictions affects on socialising have reduced the spread of STDs. Picture: iStock
CIARÁN SUNDERLAND
Over 1,000 fewer people have been diagnosed with HIV or a sexually transmitted infection (STI) this year, than at the same time in 2020.
The figure for the first 11 weeks of this year is 2,116 - down over a third from the same period last year when the HSE recorded 3,300 HIV or STI diagnoses.
Among the 2,116 recorded cases in 2021, eight people under 14 have tested positive in 2021, and 181 aged between 15 and 19.
Martin Davoren, the executive director of the Sexual Health Centre in Cork said the drop in diagnoses can be explained by the introduction of lockdown restrictions to reduce the spread of Covid-19.
Speaking to Newstalk, he said the drastic reduction of socialising along with 5km travel limits have affected the rates of STI and HIV infections in the country.
"In 2020 we were socialising, we were out and about, the pandemic had yet to hit our shores. And so people were active both in society, but also more so within their sexual lives.
"For 2021 we're in a very different landscape right now, we're in the 5k limit, we're not meeting people outside of our households. And so, levels of sexually transmitted infections may be less," he said.
For Niki Martire, director of SpunOut.ie, the lockdowns are an obvious source for the decrease but she also has pointed to the reduced public health services available as a result of the pandemic.
"I mean the obvious one is of course that we have been in a prolonged period of being asked to either be in lockdown or to be socially distant, so that's one kind of obvious thing to point to, people might say that is reasonable.
"But of course we have also seen services that are no longer available, services that are shut down or are at limited capacity or have had to re-prioritise their attentions in other areas," said Ms Martire.
Meanwhile, screening and testing delays to diagnose cancers, lengthening waiting lists, and increasing exhaustion amongst staff and patients are being flagged as just some of the impacts the pandemic is having on cancer services.
Cancer doctors want urgent action to address the major issues that services are encountering and which are causing huge anxiety and anguish for patients.
