Age and sex characteristics

Tables 4,6 and 7 present the age groups and sex of the new individual patients/clients seen in 1997/98. The trends in the age and sex characteristics in the period 1992/93 and 1997/98 are shown in Table 5. A summary of the trend is shown in Charts 3 and 4 below.

Age profile 1993/94-1997/98 As in previous years, the most common age group, accounting for nearly one third of individuals (32 per cent), is 20­24 years; the 25­29 age group accounts for a further 28 per cent Fifteen per cent of individuals reported to the Database are under 20 years of age.

Sex profile 1993/94-1997/98 The overall gender profile of individuals attending services and reported to the Database has been consistent over each of the last five years: in 1997/98 70 per cent were male and 30 per cent were female.

Ethnic origin

Table 8 presents information about the ethnic origin of the patients/clients attending services. Of the 8099 individuals whose ethnic origin was recorded in 1997/98, less than 1 per cent (30 individuals) were from an ethnic minority.