Surveillance of sexually transmitted infections in the West Midlands using anonymised individual patient datasets from genitourinary medicine clinics.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) declined in the UK during the 1980s and early 1990s but have increased substantially since 1995. Within the overall increase there are important differences in the epidemiology of these infections. The current, aggregate system of STI data collection in the UK provides limited demographic information and is unable to fully explain these differences. More useful information can be obtained using an enhanced surveillance system that collects disaggregate, anonymised, individual patient data including ethnic group and truncated postcode of residence. Such a system has been set up in the West Midlands NHS region. The methodology of the project is described here along with the findings to date. These findings confirm that the burden of STIs disproportionately affects young persons, men who have sex with men, black ethnic minority groups and those living in urban areas. Identifying the groups at greatest risk in this way enables interventions to be more usefully targeted.

Enhanced surveillance of HIV infection in the West Midlands.

The West Midlands Regional HIV Surveillance Project was set up in 1991 in response to a need for enhanced surveillance of HIV at a local level for service planning. The system showed that accurate and timely data could be collected whilst ensuring patient confidentiality. We present some of the data obtained from the system. HIV diagnoses continue to increase year on year, with certain population subgroups, including men who have sex with men and black Africans, disproportionately affected.