16% rise in genital herpes amongst teenage girls in one year

Ed: And the reason is in the Department of Health statement: ""We will continue to promote safe sex messages through initiatives such as the Condom Essential Wear campaign, which was launched in November last year."

Sexually-transmitted infections among the young are continuing to rise despite Government efforts to reduce them.

Experts are particularly worried about a significant rise in the number of teenage girls contracting the incurable and unpleasant condition of genital herpes.

Last year, the number of new STI cases rose by 2 per cent compared with 2005, according to the Health Protection Agency.

But cases of genital herpes shot up by 9 per cent to 21,698 cases. Among teenage girls aged between 16 and 19, the rise was even higher at 16 per cent. Read more