[lettie]

The problem with 16-25 year olds is that they see HIV and AIDS as an old persons disease. By the time people actually die of AIDS, they are usually 40+. The newer antiretroviral therapies mean that HIV affected people now have a near normal life span (assuming they don't get run over or anything) Unfortunately, these therapies are very expensive as mentioned in previous posts so we all end up footing the bill. Chlamydia/Gonorrhoea are the diseases which are predominantly affecting 16-25's The 2 infections often accompany one another. Chlamydia is relatively cheap to treat (even cheaper not to catch in the first place) Gonorrhoea has become resistant over the years to the traditional antibiotics used and is more difficult to treat now. It sometimes requires several courses of antibiotics and tests of cure after taking them. The majority of these infections have no symptoms 50% of men with Chlamydia won't know they have it, neither will up to 70% of women. If left untreated it can eventually cause pelvic inflammatory disease in women, which leads to ectopic pregnancies and infertility. If a woman is already pregnant it is highly associated with premature births, infant eye infections (which can be severe) and neonatal pneumonia which can be fatal. In men it can cause epididymo-orchitis (painful infection of yer bits) men can also become infertile and it can cause reactive arthritis requiring months of pain relief and anti inflammatories and physio, not to mention blood tests and specialists. As taxpayers we are paying for people to have these treatments. Would it not be more cost effective to prevent the disease in the first place by having safe sex (and I don't mean tying yer other half to the bed so they don't fall off) Condoms cost pence, these treatments cost millions.....