THE region has seen a large increase in the number of people diagnosed with sexually transmitted disease.

The 9.7 per cent surge from 21,202 in 2003 to 23,251 suggests many people are ignoring safe sex advice.

The dramatic increase in new regional diagnoses dwarfs the national increase of just two per cent.

The biggest increase numerically in the North-East is in cases of chlamydia, an infection that affects one in ten young people and is now the country's most common curable sexual disease.

Last year there were 4,424 cases of chlamydia recorded in the North-East, an increase of 1,009 over the previous year.

While health officials are concerned at the 29 per cent jump in chlamydia cases they believe that the majority of new diagnoses were related to the increased availability of testing, following the introduction of a screening programme for the disease.

Launched earlier this year in County Durham, the scheme aims at encouraging under 25s to use a self-test kit or visit a sexual health clinic for a check-up.

Other noticeable trends in the North-East figures included a marked increase in new diagnoses of syphillis.

Although the numbers are relatively small the region saw syphillis cases rise by 37 per cent from 67 to 92.

There was also a 12.8 per cent increase in genital warts, going up from 3,401 to 3,838.

However, cases of gonorrhoea reduced in the region from 666 in 2003 to 597 in 2004, a reduction of ten per cent.

Another crumb of comfort is that the rates of infections diagnosed in genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in the North-East remains below the national average.

Dr Vivien Hollyoak, director of the Health Protection Agency in the North-East said: "Although the number of new diagnoses in GUM clinics continues to rise in the North-East, the rate of infection diagnosed among the local population remains below the national rate, affecting 916 per 100,000 people regionally, compared to 1,262 per 100,000 nationally."

She said the figures highlighted "how vital it is for people to take responsibility for their own, and their partners' sexual health, and to use a condom with new or casual partners."

She urged anyone who thinks they might have put themselves at risk of contracting STI or has any symptoms to go to a GUM clinic at the earliest opportunity.