9 Dec 2008

Solomon Islands young people contracting STI's is on the rise

11:05 am on 9 December 2008

A study by a medical centre in the Solomon Islands suggests the number of locals contracting sexually transmitted infections or STI, is on the rise.

But the Solomon Islands Planned Parenthood Association, which conducted the study says the higher detection rate could be due to more people using its services.

The Assistant officer for its reproductive health development programme, Crispin Siama, says it discovered people in the age group of 15 to 24 topped the national STI sufferers count.

But, he says they are also more likely to use the clinic's services.

"On the one hand we have information going out to young people so that's why we have a lot of them coming out now for check-up on STI. And on the other hand it might be that we don't have enough information on STI especially with young people do not know and they get engaged in to unsafe sexual practices."

Crispin Siama says it also established children as young as 10-years-of-age are sexually active.