As the number of people with sexually transmitted diseases continues to increase, doctors are urging people to get tested - and to be more responsible. Sara McCorquodale reports.

Before we begin, I must warn you that this is not a conventional love story.

It involves a man and a woman, and courtship and kissing but the ending is no Breakfast at Tiffany's-style kiss in the rain with a cat under your arm romantic extravaganza.

When Debbie met a man over the internet who made her smile she was delighted to have at last found someone that she clicked with.

They decided to meet up and she was over the moon when it became clear that her first impressions had been correct.

He was handsome, fun and they were as compatible when face to face as they had been in cyberspace.

One thing led to another, and before Debbie had even been on a second date with her Prince Charming he had given her herpes. They didn't even have penetrative sex.

The 24-year-old-said: "We got on really well so we met up and he came back to mine. That was on the Saturday and by Thursday I was feeling really ill.

"I went to the doctor and he knew straight away that it was herpes. I had caught it even though we hadn't had full sex because we didn't have a condom. After that I got tested for everything.

"The partner who gave it to me had no idea he had herpes. I phoned him up after I had been to the clinic to find out what was going on but it was a surprise to him too. The thing is that you could have it for ages and never know because there are no symptoms."

As the number of people with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) continues to increase, doctors are urging people to go and get tested.

In March the NHS reported that in south-west London 950 people were infected by chlamydia, 544 had genital warts and 187 had herpes.

In addition to this, the number of people being treated for HIV by Sutton and Merton Primary Care Trust (PCT) has risen by approximately 10 per cent in the past year.

While this may seem like a good time to padlock your knickers and throw away the key, experts are not saying that people should stop having sex.

However, they are stressing it is more important than ever to be responsible and use a condom.

Nigel Scott, information officer at Herpes Viruses, said: "It is very important to get check-ups, especially if you have a new partner. A lot of infections can be easily sorted out with a course of antibiotics."

While the less serious infections are easily dealt with, if people do not seek help they can lead to infertility in the worst cases.

Clinical manager and senior health adviser at the medical GU department at St Helier hospital Yvonne Walker is trying to ensure that people understand and are taught the importance of sexual health in their teens.

She said: "I provide sessions for young people at Connexions to educate them about STDs and pregnancy. Some know about the risks while others know nothing at all. I think young people have a right to sex education."

The frightening thing about the spread of STDs is the age at which young people are being infected by them and the reasons that they start having sex.

Ms Walker said: "I talk to the people who come into Connexions about the long-term consequences and about transmission.

"I talk to them about delaying having sex but there is a lot of peer pressure these days. Young people can get bullied by others for not having sex and that can put a huge amount of pressure on them.

"One girl came to talk to me because she wanted to know how to say no to a guy and mean it.

"If anyone thinks that they may have something they must get tested. I see girls of 15-years-old who have chlamydia and it is difficult to tell them that while they don't want a baby now they might in 10 years. They may not be able to if they don't go to a clinic and get help."

Although Debbie did the right thing, she now has to tell any new sexual partners that she has herpes.

However, while this might not be the best chat-up line she has gained a healthy perspective on STDs due to her experience.

She said: "It is difficult now when I meet new people because I have to tell them I have it. I have only slept with one other person since this all happened.

"I will have this for the rest of my life, but it is not as big a deal as I first thought it was. It is not going to kill me.

"You have to be careful though and I think that if anyone thinks they have caught something they just have to go to a clinic and get checked out."