Free NHS chlamydia test shunned by under-25s despite being group most at risk of infection
The infection accounts for almost half of all recorded STIs in the UK and 70% of cases occur in the under-25 age group
A CHLAMYDIA screening programme has flopped with the majority of people at risk not getting free tests.
Only one in three young women in Britain gets tested for chlamydia, figures show.
And among lads, just one in seven get checked out for the sexually-transmitted infection.
The NHS Chlamydia Screening Programme is free to everyone under 25 through local pharmacies, contraception clinics and even some colleges.
But new stats from Public Health England show the majority of those most at risk are not getting themselves tested.
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An estimated 70 per cent of chlamydia cases occur in those under 25.
Left untreated, the bug can cause pain, bleeding and discharge in women - and swollen testicles in men.
In severe cases, it can result in infertility and even arthritis.
National recommendations urge young people to get tested every year, or on changing partners.
PHE said the low take-up of testing could explain why reported Chlamydia cases dropped four per cent last year - to just over 200,000 cases.
But the infection still accounts for almost half of all STIs, it said.
Other figures reveal a worrying rise in syphilis cases - up 20 per cent last year.
Gonorrhoea jumped by 11 per cent.
Most of the increase occurred among gay or bisexual men, the PHE said.
Dr Gwenda Hughes, head of STI surveillance at PHE said: 'The new statistics show STI rates are still very high among gay men and young adults.
'We need to do more to raise awareness about STIs and how they can be prevented, especially the effectiveness of using condoms.
'We recommend that anyone having sex with a new or casual partner uses condoms and tests regularly for HIV and STIs.'
The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV said drug-resistant gonorrhoea was a major worry.
Spokeswoman Dr Elizabeth Carlin said: 'The continued increase in new cases of gonorrhoea and syphilis is extremely disturbing.
'It demonstrates the importance of ensuring that patients have timely access to appropriate specialist sexual health services.
'The sustained rise in gonorrhoea diagnoses is particularly concerning, given the further spread of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea that was identified earlier this year.
'It is essential that we reverse these worrying trends as a priority in order to control infection and retain our ability to treat gonorrhoea effectively.'
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