Sexually transmitted infections are up again in Britain, according to an official report published on Tuesday.

Diseases transmitted by sex show a 4 percent rise in England, Wales and Northern Ireland -- from 678,709 in 2002 to 708,083 last year, said Health Protection Agency.

The most common of these is chlamydia that often has no symptoms and, if it is allowed to go untreated, can lead to infertility. Cases rose by 9 percent in 2003, although the statistics revealed that the number of new cases of gonorrhoea fell by 3 percent.

However, the agency said there were signs that the rate of increase in sexual diseases was slowing.

Experts are blaming the increase on greater numbers of sexual partners, delays in treatment and a failure to use condoms.

In an interview, Nick Partridge, chief executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, told Sky TV "It's no surprise that the figures are continuing to rise, given the excessive waiting times at many sexual health clinics.

"The NHS (National Health Service) has failed to prioritize sexual health and HIV, and these figures are an indictment of their inaction," he said.

There is also a particular concern about getting the message through to teenagers. Doctors blame poor sex education and young people no longer being afraid of AIDS.

(Xinhua News Agency July 28, 2004)