Chlamydia and gonorrhoea rates in the South dropped significantly in 2010, the latest annual report on sexually transmitted infections says.
The report is the first in which Otago and Southland are treated as one district health board.
The chlamydia rate in the Southern DHB's area last year was 7 in 1000 people, compared with 7.4 in 1000 in Otago and 8.67 in 1000 in Southland in 2009.
As for gonorrhoea, Southern had 29 cases per 100,000 people, compared with 34 in Otago in 2009 and 72 in Southland in 2009. Both drops were considered "significant".
Nationally, chlamydia increased 1.5%, while gonorrhoea decreased 0.2%, neither of which were considered significant, the report said.
Dunedin Sexual Health Clinic clinical leader Dr Jill McIlraith said the results showed the benefits of a programme which included funded GP sexual health visits. However, under the Southern Primary Health Organisation's clinical proposals for 2011-12 that was set to become limited.
The SPHO, which is still considering its plan, proposes limiting funded sexual health consultations to Maori, Pacific Island, and economically deprived people, and restricting them to two visits a year.
Dr McIlraith said the loss of this funding reduced the points of access for young people to sexual health services, and made it especially difficult for young people in areas without a DHB-funded sexual health clinic.
Dunedin, and other areas in Otago and Southland had been able to use PHO funding to suit the local population. Under the new regime, funding would be levelled out, she said.
Dr McIlraith said New Zealand's rates of STIs - particularly chlamydia and gonorrhoea - were far too high compared with other countries, although there had been a welcome decrease in genital warts and syphilis.
SPHO chief executive Ian Macara said tit was still considering how best to provide an equitable sexual health service across Otago and Southland.
Under the old PHOs, which are merging to form Southern, services were unequal, with some areas served well and others not. The SPHO was also grappling with how to serve tourist towns like Queenstown and Wanaka, where tourists were not part of the enrolled patient population.
