As chair of the Government's Independent Advisory Group (IAG) on Sexual Health and HIV and a local resident, I would like to comment on your article "Silent threat stalks teens" (The Argus, March 27).
The rise in chlamydia is of great concern but we would argue that it is not as a direct result of the increased availability of long-acting, reversible contraception (implants and patches).
If young women attend clinics or visit their GP for contraception, they are more likely to be screened and treated for chlamydia. The highest risk is when women use no protection at all.
As Sarah Berger from West Sussex Primary Care Trust indicated when talking about the C-card scheme, having good sex education and providing condoms is an effective way to keep young people safer.
The IAG wholeheartedly supports this position but would add that access to sexual health services, including screening and contraception, is also vital.
- Baroness Gould, chair, Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV
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