Young teenagers and pensioners are fuelling a rise in sexually transmitted infections as gonorrhoea hits a record high, official figures show.
There were 401,800 new STIs diagnosed in England last year, up 4.7 per cent from 383,789 in 2022, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
The sharpest year-on-year rise was among children aged 13 and 14, where the number was up by almost a fifth (19.5 per cent) to 459.
This was followed by pensioners aged 65 and over, with new cases soaring by 18.2 per cent to 2,885.
Some Britons are engaging in risky unprotected sex after meeting on dating apps while others are starting new sexual relationships after getting divorced or being widowed in old age.
The Local Government Association, which represents councils with responsibility for commissioning clinics, blamed the rise in infections on people struggling to access to contraception and the huge demand for care.
Concerns have also been raised about children copying what they see in pornography, freely accessed on their mobile phones.
There were 85,223 cases of gonorrhoea diagnosed last year, the highest since records began in 1918.
Health officials warn some strains are proving resistant to antibiotics and say the infection can cause pain, discharge and infertility.
Meanwhile cases of syphilis are at the highest level since 1948, with 9,513 cases diagnosed last year.
While the majority of cases were diagnosed among gay men, the UKHSA said there was a larger ‘proportional rise’ in syphilis diagnoses among heterosexual men and women.
There were 1,958 cases diagnosed among heterosexual men and women in 2023, a 22 per cent rise from 2022 when there were 1,608 cases.
Among gay men cases rose by 7 per cent between 2022 and 2023.
Chlamydia accounted for almost half of all new STIs detected, with 194,970 diagnoses in 2023.
There were also 27,167 first episodes of genital herpes and 26,133 new genital warts.
Despite this, new diagnoses of STIs remain below pre-pandemic levels, with 468,139 recorded in 2019.
The figures reveal a five per cent rise in consultations delivered by sexual health services last year rising from 4,392,466 to 4,610,410.
There were 216,050 new STIs in men and 169,475 in women, where the patient’s gender was noted.
Dr Hamish Mohammed, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: ‘STIs can have a major impact on your health regardless of your age, gender or sexual orientation.
‘The best way to reduce your risk of an infection is to use a condom consistently and correctly with new or casual partners.
‘The NHS provides free, confidential STI testing to detect any potential infections and prevent you passing them on to others.’
Alice Wiseman, vice president of the Association of Directors of Public Health, said: ‘Over the last decade, the Public Health Grant, which pays for local sexual health services, has been subject to cuts of over a quarter on a real-terms per person basis.
‘At the same time, we are seeing demand for sexual health services at an all time high, and rates of STIs increasing.
‘Investment in public health is key to improving the health of the UK.
‘Whoever forms the next Government must address this issue as a matter of urgency or we will just continue to see rates rise – it is simply unsustainable.’
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James Woolgar, chair of the English HIV and Sexual Health Commissioners’ Group, added: ‘Front line staff in sexual health clinics do an amazing job at creating an environment where people are able to come forward for advice and treatment.
‘However, without more funding, clinics will be forced to reduce their services.
‘Not only will this mean rates of infection will continue to rise, but more and more people will be left untreated, which will have a huge impact on both individuals and local communities.’
The Local Government Association, which represents councils with responsibility for commissioning clinics, blamed the rise in infections on people struggling to access to contraception and care.
It added that the figures show the need for next government to launch a 10-year sexual health strategy, with the last one published in 2001.
Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: ‘Councils want to continue encouraging more people to visit their local sexual health clinic, in particular hard-to-reach communities.
‘However, today’s figures show sexual health services continue to face rising demand pressures.
‘This is why we are calling for a new 10-year strategy to tackle infection rates, and ensure that sexual health services are properly funded and resourced in the long-term.’
Professor Matt Phillips, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, said: ‘Levels of both gonorrhoea and syphilis continue to rise which is a real concern to sexual health experts.
‘Both infections require expert management in specific clinics, and it is of paramount importance that access to clinics and the experts there is quick and easy for anyone needing care.
‘There have been significant cuts across England to the Public Health Grant which local authorities use to pay for sexual health services in their areas, and it will be vital to see increased funding to clinics to enable them to support their users well.’
Source: Mail Online
