The number of young people with sexually transmitted infections (stis) has increased dramatically over the past few years in Britain, according to government figures. The number of children under age 16 diagnosed with stis rose 58 percent from 2003 to 2007—from 2,474 to 3,913. The number of people under 16 diagnosed with chlamydia, the world’s most common sti, rose 90 percent over this period.

Last year, 2,020 teenagers were diagnosed with chlamydia, as compared to just 52 in 2003. The British Department of Health says that the increase in chlamydia diagnoses is a result of a national chlamydia screening program set up in 2003, which means more people are being tested for the infection.

Around half of all newly diagnosed stis in the UK are found in people ages 18-24. In 2007, the chlamydia screening program found that nearly 1 in 10 sexually active young women had the infection. For men, the figure was 1 in 12.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb criticized the government over the terrible sexual health of Britain’s young people. “This shocking increase is a damning indictment of the government’s complacency when it comes to the sexual health of our children,” he said. “The number of youngsters contacting stis is very disturbing. Children must be informed about the risks involved in sexual relationships and taught how to be safe. … The government has slashed public health spending over recent years. This short-sightedness is putting a whole generation at risk of a sexual health crisis.”

But Lamb is wrong; throwing money at the sex infection problem is not the solution.

Screenings, vaccinations, and so-called safe-sex practices are futile attempts to treat the effects of the problem while ignoring the cause. The root cause of this epidemic is sexual immorality.

There is an alternative to the half-truths and outright lies promulgated in our “anything goes” society. Anyone who avoids unmarried sex will avoid the curse of stis and experience wonderful, long-term benefits.

For more information on how to preserve your sexual health and on the God-ordained uses of sex, read “Sexual Health: What Every High School and College Student Needs to Know” and Herbert W. Armstrong’s book The Missing Dimension in Sex.