Salient. Victoria University of Wellington Student's Newspaper. Volume 31 Number 2. March 12, 1968
Teenage gonorrhoea rate high in NZ
Teenage gonorrhoea rate high in NZ
The teenage gonorrhoea rate in New Zealand is exceeded only in Sweden and Denmark, Dr W. M. Platts, a venereologist at the Christchurch Public Hospital told a public forum on venereal disease at the W.E.A. recently.
Sixty to seventy per cent of New Zealanders affected by gonorrhoea are under 20.
Gonorrhoea is "almost an epidemic in New Zealand" and second in dispersion to hepatitis in infectious diseases, he said.
Eighty-six in every 100,000 New Zealanders are effected by gonorrhoea. This compares with 45 in every 100,000 in England.
The symptoms are a burning discharge in the male, but are generally unnoticeable in the female.
Although the disease is of little danger to males, it can lead to female sterility and death or damage to the infant if the affected female is pregnant.
"The cure is very simple," Dr Platts said.
Penicillin was a perfect drug for gonorrhoea until recently, when resistant strains developed.
For these, more expensive and difficult treatments were necessary.
"Syphilis is a killer," he warned.
About one third of those affected died of heart or nervous diseases. Fortunately, syphilis cases were rare in New Zealand. Only 25 were reported in New Zealand last year. But "it won't be long before it will appear on the New Zealand scene," Dr Platts said.
Dr Platts said that venereal diseases had to come from somewhere. Each person affected was therefore, only one of an infectious chain.
Intercourse was generally necessary to spread the disease, but syphilitic sores were occasionally infective.
Homosexual carrying was a problem in England and had become "a world-wide trend", he said.
The diseases were not notifiable by law because this tended to discourage prospective patients.
But medical officers were entitled to examine contacts given by the patient.
Only in this way could venereal disease be fought.
In 1955 venereal diseases seemed to have nearly vanished, but internationally since 1956 the rate had continued to rise.
More promiscuous
Dr Platts blamed this on "teenage behaviour."
Teenagers were more promiscuous, lacking in responsibility and had "total disregard of consequences", he said.
When questioned after the forum, Dr Platts said student cases of gonorrhoea were not numerous at present in New Zealand, but were rapidly increasing overseas, a trend that could occur here.
"The incidence of venereal diseases is increasing at an alarming rate, we are told, but this is merely a symptom of something underneath," said Mr C. J. Cross, headmaster of Burnside High School.
Parents must be decisive on moral issues and standards of conduct.
Young people wanted a decisive and plain lead, he said.
Parents should instruct teenagers on the best way to live before they had sexual experience.
"You can't undo an experience. Total abstinence is the only answer," said Mr Cross
Fellowship
Tony Ashenden, well-known man-about-campus, Forum founder and lecturer in Political Science, has left to take up a visiting fellowship at the Australian National University in Canberra.
He will employ computer models in the study of problems of international stability in the nuclear age.