England records highest Gonorrhea, syphilis cases in decades

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has revealed that England saw a record number of gonorrhea cases and the highest level of syphilis in decades as sexually transmitted infections spiked. Gonorrhea is increasing in people of all ages, but its spread was highest last year among that cohort, the agency noted.

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It also added that there were 82,592 gonorrhea diagnoses in 2022, a yearly increase of 50 per cent and the largest annual number reported since records began.

Meanwhile, infectious syphilis diagnoses increased to 8,692, a 15 per cent rise and the biggest annual total since 1948, the UKHSA noted.

More broadly, there were 392,453 new STIs detected among residents in England last year, a yearly increase of nearly a quarter. This follows an uptick in cases in 2021, as numbers rebounded following the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought a drop-off in STIs due to lockdowns imposed during much of 2020.

The agency also stressed the importance of good sexual health practices, noting that condoms are the best defence against STIs, while advocating regular testing.

“The numbers of consultations, sexual health screens and STI diagnoses in 2020 and 2021 are lower than preceding years, so the trend in diagnoses between 2021 and 2022 must be interpreted in that context,” the UKHSA added.

The rise in STIs has been most pronounced among young people aged 15 to 24, who accounted for the biggest proportion.

Infectious syphilis has been on the rise both among gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men, as well as heterosexual people, UKHSA added.

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