[lettie]

Originally Posted by garinda

On a similar vein, because of the risks to health, there was a recent Panorama programme on television, were it showed that the waiting time for an appointment at a sexually transmitted disease clinic had gone from an average wait to be seen from two days ten years ago, to an unbelievable six to ten weeks!

These waiting times are unacceptable. The government would probably say that they have already put several million into sexual health care but much of this money is mis-used by being swallowed up by other services and petty paperwork. The national Chlamydia screening programme which has now been rolled out to several health districts will account for some of the rise in Chlamydia diagnoses because of increased screening, but where's the prevention??????

In those six/ten weeks someone who may have used these services, may be spreading God knows what to his unknowing wife/partner/girlfriend.

That is very often the case Rindy. A person waiting for services could spread these infections to several partners in a 6-10 week period. I know that it sounds far fetched but some people sleep around regulary. You only have to look at young people on a Saturday night after a few scoops to see that they are copping off and probably won't use any protection. How else do we account for the rise in the incidence of STI's and the resurgence of Syphillis.

Labout government hang your heads in shame.

Even bloody Thatcher eventually targeted money into sexual health care and prevention.

Thatcher's government also gave us needle exchange schemes which undoubtedly slowed the spread of HIV amongst intravenous drug users at the time. I never thought much of the Thatcher government but at least they made the effort with this.