Rising rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted disease have prompted officials to launch a new safe sex advertising campaign in Britain. The Family Planning Association (FPA) and Health Education Authority will launch the campaign August 2 in 600 clubs and pubs throughout Britain. Officials say that many women regard pregnancy as the greatest danger associated with sex, and they use the pill--rather than barrier methods--for protection. One key focus of the campaign will be chlamydia. Statistics show that new diagnoses of chlamydia among 16- to 19-year-olds increased 32 percent between 1996 and 1997. The FPA's Anne Weyman noted that awareness of chlamydia, a disease that can render young women infertile, is low in women between the ages of 18 and 24, even though they are at high risk.

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