TEEN SEX DISEASES DOUBLE IN A YEAR

Nearly 800 youngsters have tested positive for STIS already this year...

- SHANE POWER

THE number of teenagers diagnosed with STIs has more than doubled in the space of a year, figures show.

Preliminary data from the HSE reveal that 783 teenagers have tested positive for sexually-transmitted infections so far in 2023.

The alarming statistics include three children under the age of 14 – with two being treated for chlamydia and one for genital herpes.

Data for 2022 reported a total of 950 STI diagnoses among teenagers, suggesting that this year’s final figures once adjusted will show a huge rise in infections.

The spike may be fuelled by the ready availability of pornography on the internet, according to genito urinary consultant Dr Derek Freedman, a specialist in STIs.