STIs on the rise

Dr Helen Maguire, an expert in STI trends at the Health Protection Agency in London, said: "These latest figures reveal STIs to be a major and ongoing health issue in London.

"They clearly show that people are more likely to be diagnosed with STIs if they live in an inner city area of London, as a higher proportion of people who are most at risk tend to live in these areas."

"Part of these increases could be due to more frequent and sensitive testing, as well as better reporting, and as in previous years, teenagers and young people account for a large number of these new infections."

There are no borough-specific figures for the previous year, but nationally, they are on the rise.

The most common infection in Kensington and Chelsea is chlamydia, which in under 25s is in about 1,825 people in every 100,000.

A spokeswoman for NHS Kensington and Chelsea pointed to a number of schemes in place to help diagnose them early, and to help cut the rates.

Among the services currently available are walk in treatment centres, open access contraceptive services, a sexual health text messaging service for young people, free condom distribution, sex education in schools, and a leading HIV centre at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, which is due to be expanded when building work is completed next week.

For more information on the services available, visit www.chelwest.nhs.uk.