On-site testing for syphillis at gay venues will begin shortly in Dublin, in an effort to control an outbreak among homosexual and bisexual men.
Medical staff will be available in bars, clubs and saunas at night to take blood samples from patrons who feel they might have been exposed to the disease.
The Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA), voluntary organisations and gay commercial outlets are involved in the campaign to test homosexual and bisexual men for the disease which has seen over 73 new cases during the last year. Previously, the number of new cases was around five a year.
The disease was a serious health issue as it was easy to catch, said Dr Lelia Thornton, specialist in public health medicine at the department of public health, ERHA. While condoms reduced the risk of contracting syphillis, they did not protect against the disease, she added.
Similar outbreaks had occurred among the gay and bisexual community in Paris, Antwerp and Manchester.
Mr Brian Sheehan, director of Gay HIV Strategies, said the best way to control the disease was to test at venues where gay people congregated.
Two recent pilot schemes, involving on-site testing at separate gay venues, had proved successful. The plan now was to intensify the campaign, Dr Thornton said.
A campaign involving the distribution of posters and leaflets had informed people of the problem but this was not being converted into people coming forward for testing, she said.
"Some people don't like going to clinics, but most don't mind being tested if it is easy for them to do it," Dr Thornton said.
The tests are conducted in a quiet area of the bar or sauna for confidentiality, she added. Out-reach workers in the venues will tell people the testing is available if they want it. After the blood sample is taken, people are given a reference number and a mobile phone number to get the results of their test.
It was unclear when the problem would be eradicated as the authorities did not have to deal with this scale previously, Dr Thornton said.
During meetings with the owners of gay venues and voluntary groups, a partnership was formed to tackle the problem, she said. "We are delighted with the response and co-operation. We couldn't have done it without their help."
Mr Sheehan said the on-site testing was having the broader effect of creating a positive climate for sexual health among gay men. In San Francisco and Australia, health screening and health information were available at gay saunas.