Tis the season to catch an STI

Chlamydia testing kit supplier, Preventex, prepares for increased Christmas demand thanks to office party festive frolicking
  
Preventx (  http://www.preventex.co.uk ), a supplier of Chlamydia home testing kits, has spent most of November 2005 stocking up its products for the backlash of Christmas party shenanigans and is expecting a big increase in orders starting from early December.
  
The combination of constant parties, large amounts of alcohol and socialising with old friends or work colleagues means even the most sensible of people will take risks. Preventx director, Michelle Hart says: 'We’re fully expecting our sales of Chlamydia testing kits to increase substantially over the Christmas period. November’s figures have risen by over 125 per cent compared with two months ago, so we’re expecting a further rise from December through to January.'
  
She adds: “Waiting times at clinics can be up to six weeks in some areas of the UK , when it should only be two days. Nobody likes waiting that long to find out their results, so we’ve been stocking up accordingly.”
  
“I think Christmas is a time when no one likes to be single. We’re constantly bombarded with Christmas advertising showing happy couples round the fire. Mix this with alcohol and it could be one of the reasons why so many young and single people are having unprotected sex.”
  
It appears that UK workers see the Christmas party as a chance to let their hair down, lose their inhibitions and do things they wouldn't normally consider. Research has shown British boozing increases by 41 per cent in the festive season and births peak in late summer/early autumn – nine months after Christmas. The Health Protection Agency has recently reported that, in the UK , Chlamydia cases have risen by nine per cent (95,879 to 104,155) from last year and it is still the most common STI. Chlamydia often causes no symptoms, and can be passed on to others without anyone knowing. Complications may occur if it is left untreated, including problems in pregnancy and infertility in both men and women.
  
  
Notes
Preventx is a European supplier of drug testing kits and Chlamydia home tests. Preventx supplies health and drug testing customers, including: the Home Office, the NHS, community drug abuse teams, Heathrow and Gatwick airports, schools, parents, and major transport companies. Chlamydia is most prevalent among teenagers. Nearly 75 per cent of all new cases occur in women under the age of 25. By age 30, 50 per cent of sexually active women have been exposed to the infection. Around half a million people in the UK have Chlamydia.
  
For further information, please contact:
Michelle Hart, Preventx

Email:  tom@preventx.co.uk
  
(28/12/05)