HIGHEST EVER GONORRHOEA DIAGNOSES, AMONGST RISING STI CONCERNS

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released data today showing soaring numbers of diagnoses for gonorrhoea and syphilis. There were 82,592 gonorrhoea diagnoses in 2022, the highest on record, and up 50.3% from the previous year. Syphilis was diagnosed 8,692 times in 2022, the highest annual rate in 65 years. Overall, there were 392,453 new diagnoses of STIs in the UK, a 23.8% increase compared to 2021.

These statistics indicate diagnoses rather than cases, so likely reflect, in part, the 13.4% increase in STI screening in the UK last year. However, experts state that this increased screening cannot wholly explain the data and so believe there is also increased STI transmission in the British population.

While most STIs can now be treated with widely available drugs like antibiotics, many also create serious health impacts if not diagnosed and treated. Chlamydia can cause infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease, and syphilis can cause potentially life-threatening complications with the brain, heart, and nervous system. There is also a strain of gonorrhoea, dubbed 'super-gonorrhoea', that is resistant to all recommended classes of antibiotic treatment, as a result of global antibiotic misuse.

The UKHSA data suggests young people (15-24) were particularly likely to be diagnosed with an STI, constituting around 400 diagnoses a day in 2022. Consequently, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, Dr. Hamish Mohammed, has urged young people who are sexually active to take appropriate precautions, stating: 

"Condoms are the best defence, but if you didn't use one the last time you had sex with a new or casual partner, get tested to detect any potential infections early and prevent passing them on to others. Testing is important because you may not have any symptoms of an STI."

The expansion in online postal self-sampling (OPSS) STI services across much of the UK has been praised for its increasing accessibility to STI testing. The rollout appears to have reduced testing costs, reduced test-to-result times, and encouraged greater screening from marginalised communities. However, the government continues to be criticised for reduced sexual health funding and service fragmentation, with many still finding it hard to access the services they need.