New data from the Health Protection Agency shows the South West has lower than national average rates for sexually transmitted infections but rates across the country are continuing to rise.

The information, which provides details of rates by area of residence for the first time, shows that in 2009, the South West's average rate of chlamydia was 65.9 per 100,000 for over-25s against the England average of 97.8. Syphilis was also significantly lower at 2.3 per 100,000 compared to the England average of 5.5.

However, while the South West has lower rates, it continues to see a rise in new diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections in line with the national increase of three per cent between 2008 and 2009.

The new information also shows that young people experience disproportionately high rates of sexually transmitted infections with young people aged under 25 attending genitourinary medicine clinics accounting for more than 70 per cent of cases.

In order to take action to reverse the trend and promote the sexual health of young people, South West Strategic Health Authority has set up the first Office for Sexual Health in the country in partnership with the HPA. Its job is to ensure high quality services to prevent and treat sexually transmitted infections, good access to contraception to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and promotion of sex and relationship education to support young people to make informed choices about their health.

Dr Gabriel Scally, regional director of public health, said: "Positive sexual relationships which are free of harm to physical and mental health are an important part of life. In order to experience good sexual health, people need information and services that enable them to protect themselves against sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies.

"That means using condoms in relationships where there may be a number of partners and people using the most appropriate methods of contraception for them at that point in their lives. These methods include the most reliable forms for preventing pregnancy, which are long acting reversible methods such as implants and intrauterine devices.

"It is particularly important that we provide young people with the information and services they need to make informed choices about their health, which is why good quality sex and relationship education in schools and colleges is so important. It is also why we need to ensure services are young people friendly."

Steve Jones, THT Regional Manager for the South West, said: "It's staggering that almost half a million people each year are affected by preventable sexually transmitted infections. In the South West some STIs are still rising, with cases of gonorrhoea increasing in the region by eight per cent in the last year. Until we improve sex education and give extra support to young people they will continue to take avoidable risks with their sex lives.

"The Chlamydia Screening Programme has had a big impact in encouraging young people to come forward for testing, but it's still scaling up and its benefits will be fully felt from next year onwards.

"There are two things that would make a huge difference to these statistics in the future: arm young people with the knowledge and confidence to avoid infections and unwanted pregnancy; and continue to innovate and invest in ways to make it easier and quicker to get infections tested and treated.

"Sexual ill-health is a serious and costly problem in the UK. We can't afford not to tackle it."