Gonorrhea and syphilis diagnoses hit record highs last year, new figures show.
Annual figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show that gonorrhea diagnoses will increase to 82,592 in 2022, a 50.3% increase on 2021 (54,961).
UKHSA said it was the highest number of confirmed cases in any year since records began in 1918.
Data from the health agency also shows that infectious syphilis diagnoses will increase to 8,692 in 2022, the largest annual figure since the end of World War II.
People between the ages of 15 and 24 are most likely to be diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) because they change sexual partners more frequently than other age groups.
“More gonorrhea diagnoses than ever before”
Dr Hamish Mohammed, UKHSA Consultant Epidemiologist, said: “In 2022 we will be seeing more gonorrhea diagnoses than ever before, and it is on the rise, especially among young people. Sexually transmitted infections are not just an inconvenience – They can have a major impact on the health and fitness of any sexual partner.
“Condoms are the best defense, but if you didn’t use a condom the last time you had sex with a new or casual partner, get tested to catch any potential infection early and prevent passing it on to others. Testing is very Important because you may not have any symptoms of an STI.”
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The Local Government Association said the figures showed council-commissioned sexual health services were at “risk of collapsing”.
Councilor David Fothergill, chair of the Local Government Association’s Community Welfare Committee, said: “These new statistics continue to show that council-mandated sexual health services are at risk of collapsing, with demand increasing while real provisions cut funding.”
He added that while it was encouraging to see more people visiting their local sexual health clinics, a “testament to the work the committees are doing in hard-to-reach communities in their districts,” it was becoming “increasingly The more unsustainable it is without a long-term increase in the council’s public health grants to fund vital sexual health services”.
While STIs are usually easily treated with antibiotics, some infections, including gonorrhea and chlamydia, can cause serious health problems, including infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease.
UKHSA urges people to use condoms and get tested regularly when having sex with new or casual partners.
Syphilis is a bacterial infection that is usually contracted through sex with someone who is already infected. It can be treated with antibiotics, but can cause serious long-term problems if left untreated.
In 2022, 2,195,909 diagnostic tests for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis or HIV will be performed – a 13.4% increase from 2021.
The UKHSA said that while the rise in gonorrhea and syphilis diagnoses would partly be due to increased testing, the sharp rise “strongly suggests” there is more STI transmission in the population.