People who have a sexually transmitted infection need to learn to speak up and seek help instead of keeping silent and infecting others, according to GU clinic consultant Philip Carabot.

In Malta there is an ‘abysmal’ rate of people not using condoms...

Building on this, Health Minister Joseph Cassar said Maltese people still need to develop a sense of “civic responsibility” when dealing with sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Dr Carabot and Dr Cassar were speaking during the launch of the new GU clinic at Mater Dei Hospital yesterday.

The clinic, originally situated within Sir Paul Boffa cancer hospital in Floriana, will start operating at the state hospital from today.

Dr Carabot, who set up the clinic at Boffa in 2000, said STIs were on the increase. Last year saw a record number of syphilis cases, with 46 people diagnosed with the STI compared to 24 the previous year.

This was a global trend, mainly brought about by more people having unprotected sex with strangers, he said.

In Malta there was an “abysmal” rate of people not using condoms and a high rate of unprotected sex.

Many people infected with syphilis do not show any symptoms for years, yet remain at risk for late complications if they are not treated.

This means transmission may occur from people who are unaware of their infection.

Figures over a 10-year period – 2000 to 2010 – repeatedly showed complete disregard to any form of contraception, with an average of 75 per cent of clinic clients admitting they never used a condom.

Dr Carabot said he was glad the clinic moved to Mater Dei, where there were better facilities and two nurses were dedicated to the service. He said patients did not need a doctor’s referral to visit the clinic.

In fact, 80 per cent of patients who visited the clinic in previous years booked their own appointment and some 3,000 people turned up each year.

Dr Cassar said the clinic was in line with the government’s sexual health strategy, launched last November.

Apart from offering medical advice and cures to patients, the clinic will focus on information, education and prevention.

The strategy placed greater emphasis on parental responsibility in sexual education and called for research into sexual behaviour.

Research carried out in the build-up to the strategy showed only three per cent of 14 to 16-year-olds could correctly identify three sexually transmitted infections – HIV/AIDS, gonorrhoea and chlamydia – from a list of common diseases.

To book an appointment at the GU clinic, call 2122 7981.