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STIs in England - annual report

ended 06. June 2023

The ONS has just published an annual report for 2022 into STIs in England. Key points below. Any thoughts, send them across ASAP as this story is BREAKING.

  • in 2022, there was a total of 4,394,404 consultations at sexual health services (SHSs), an 8.2% increase compared to 2021 (4,059,608)
  • in 2022, there were 2,195,909 sexual health screens (diagnostic tests for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis or HIV) performed by SHSs, an increase of 13.4% compared to 2021 (1,936,455)
  • in 2022 there were 392,453 diagnoses of new STIs among England residents, an increase of 23.8% compared to 2021 (317,022)
  • both gonorrhoea and syphilis have returned to the high levels reported in 2019 (prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic)
  • gonorrhoea is increasing in people of all ages, but the rise is highest among young people aged 15 to 24 years
  • infectious syphilis (primary, secondary and early latent) is increasing both among gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), and heterosexual people

2 responses from the Newspage community

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Suzanne Noble
Co-Host at Sex Advice for Seniors
I suspect the rise in STIs is due to the lack of adequate sexual education in schools and the increase (amongst all ages) in access to and viewing pornography, where safe sex is rarely practised. I know that, amongst the over 50s, STIs are increasing, mainly because most of us were not brought up to use condoms and, as a result, mainly avoid them. With divorce rates among over 50s on the rise and greater use of dating apps among this demographic, many older people feel that the rules around practising safe sex don't apply if they're no longer worried about procreation. They fail to realise that it's still possible to pick up an STI.
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Anthea Morris
Finance Director at Better2Know
The fact that the number of gonorrhoea and syphilis diagnoses is so high is extremely worrying. In 2022, we saw STI testing return to pre-pandemic levels and a key contributor to the number of STI tests increasing last year was without doubt the end of social distancing. We saw the number of private STI tests increase by 18% in 2023 compared to 2022, with increased rates of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and mycoplasma infections. Syphilis in particular can be very difficult to diagnose. We are seeing a higher rate of people over 40 getting tested privately as people want fast and confidential answers without putting more pressure on the NHS. The UK is facing a serious STI crisis that is growing by the day.