Doctors are urging Brits to take precautions as the rates of gonorrhoea and syphilis continue to rise. Cases of gonorrhoea in England alone are now at the highest levels since records began back in 1919. Statistics released by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also show gonorrhoea diagnoses increased by 7.
5 per cent within a year – from 79,268 diagnoses in 2022, to 85,223 diagnoses in 2023. The UKHSA also shared that infectious syphilis diagnoses increased by 9.4 per cent, from 8,693 diagnoses in 2022, to 9,513 diagnoses in 2023.
Following the release of the statistics, British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) has launched a LoveGUM campaign to encourage more junior doctors to specialise in sexual health. The leading organisation for sexual health and HIV professionals in the UK said genitourinary medicine (GUM) doctors are needed now more than ever. If Brits are concerned about their sexual health or if they have an STD and you’re not sure where to start.
Here is what you can expect when visiting a sexual health clinic. The NHS defines STIs as “diseases passed on from one person to another through unprotected sex (sex without a condom) or sometimes through genital contact”. These infections can range in seriousness, but anyone who is displaying some of the common symptoms listed by the NHS, such as unusual discharge, lumps around the genitals, rashes or warts are encouraged to see a doctor.
How soon symptoms appear depends on the type of STI you have.