Tonge warns of infertility backlash
9:53am Friday 26th September 2003 in News By James Adlam
A TIDE of infertility is poised to overwhelm the NHS, Richmond Park MP Jenny Tonge warned this week.
Dr Tonge, who is vice president of the Family Planning Association, was speaking at a fringe meeting of the Liberal Democrat conference in Brighton on Monday, called by the FPA to discuss the growing crisis of sexual health.
The meeting heard from Anne Weymann OBE, the FPA chairman, of ‘frightening’ rates of infection by chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease which is largely symptom-free, but which causes infertility in women.
Dr Tonge said: "This is a time-bomb waiting to overwhelm the NHS and the government is being far too timid in tackling it. We're told they will introduce a national screening programme for chlamydia - but not for ten years. Why are they so terrified of tackling this issue?
"I think they are afraid of inviting a backlash from the Daily Mail and its neo-conservative friends.”
