V.D. ‘rampant' in many countries

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33694, 18 November 1974, Page 17

V.D. ‘rampant' in many countries

(N.Z. Press Assn —Copyright; GENEVA, November 17.

Venereal disease is rampant among world teen-agers, and gonorrhoea, the most common type, is raging out of control in many countries, according to the World Health Organisation.

A World Health Organisation report, presented to a meeting of 50 venereologists in Geneva, said that the incidence of syphilis and gonorrhoea, two of the 13 sexually transmitted diseases, was increasing. Gonorrhoea was regarded as

being out of control in many countries.

The organisation said a great proportion of venereal disease cases occurred among teen-agers. In Sweden, more than one-third of the cases were among persons under 20. In Denmark and France the proportion was one-fifth. For the world as a whole the rate of venereal disease among teen-agers was twice the rate for the entire population. “The annual incidence of gonorrhoea in many countries affects 1 to 5 per cent of people in the age group 15 to 30, and may go as high as 6 to 10 per cent,” said the report.

One of the reasons for the reported increase in venereal disease was that doctors were now better able to identify it.

Other reasons were the increase in the young population, greater urbanisation, the rise in world tourism, and greater sexual freedom. Dr Ralph Henderson, the head of the venereal diseases control centre in Atlanta, Georgia, said there were now about 2.5 million cases of gonorrhoea in the United States, where it was the second most widespread disease after the common cold. The disease had been '"increasing since 1968 at the rate of 15 per cent every year in the United States, Western Europe, and the developing countries, said Dr Henderson.