While the number of AIDS cases being diagnosed in Bermuda is falling, the number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is climbing steeply.

There were 16 new AIDS cases reported last year, according to recently released Health Department statistics. This is the lowest number of new cases since 1985. There were 19 new cases in 1999, which is significantly lower than the all-time high reported in 1995 of 48 cases. However, the statistics show that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) -- which includes gonorrhoea, herpes, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes and non-gonoccocal urethritis -- are on the rise.

There was a jump of 18 percent in reported STIs last year -- with 511 cases reported up from 433 in 1999.

At the end of last year, there had been a total 453 cases of AIDS reported in Bermuda. The majority of those affected have been men.

Men account for 75.9 percent (344) of AIDS cases seen on the island with the remaining 24.1 percent (109) of cases being women.

Black people were more significantly affected than white people accounting for 90.7 percent of AIDS cases (411) versus 42 cases among whites (9.3 percent).

In the past year, 11 men and five women were diagnosed.

Heterosexual sex remains the major risk factor being identified in nine of the 16 cases in 2000. Intravenous drug use accounted for three cases and homosexual or bisexual sex accounted for four cases.

Of the 453 cases in Bermuda since 1982, there have been 356 deaths. All age groups have been hit from paediatric to the 60 years, however the highest percentage of cases have fallen within the 30 to 39 years age group, with 45.3 percent of cases. Sexual transmission has become a more common factor in new cases although the cases occurring in intravenous drug users has remained steady at 40 percent.

A total of 4,950 HIV tests were performed last year of which only 15 were positive.

The report stated that STIs "are a major health problem for two reasons....they cause serious complications and they facilitate transmission of HIV''.

Reversing the AIDS trend, females are more affected than males, accounting for 58 percent of new cases. The 20 to 29 years women account for the majority (51 percent) of those cases. In the 15 to 19 years group there were 117 cases last year.

Chlamydia is the highest reported of the STIs, accounting for 55.6 percent (284) of cases.

Other reported STIs included 15 cases of syphilis and 44 cases of herpes.