Gonorrhoea cases have hit a record high as fears mount over an imported super strain that is proving resistant to treatment.
More than 85,000 gonorrhoea diagnoses were reported in England last year, the highest number since records began in 1918.
The UK’s Health Security Agency, which published the figures, is urging people who have condomless sex with new or casual partners to get tested.
He warned that while the infection can usually be easily treated, some strains are resistant to commonly used antibiotics, making them harder to eliminate.
People who remain infected are at risk of becoming infertile.
The Local Government Association, which represents councils responsible for running the clinics, blamed the rise in infections on people’s difficulties in accessing contraception and the huge demand for care.
One type that poses a “particular threat” is ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea, the UKHSA said.
Ceftriaxone is the “first-line” antibiotic used to treat gonorrhoea in England, so resistance to the drug can make treatment difficult, especially for gonorrhoea infections of the throat.
Between June 2022 and May 2024, 15 cases of ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea were detected in England, including five that were “extensively drug-resistant” – that is, resistant to first- and second-line treatment options and other antibiotics.
As of 2022, only nine cases in total had been detected in England.
To date, all detected cases have been among heterosexuals, mostly in their twenties, and most acquired the infection abroad.
There has been limited transmission within England, but the UKHSA said the rising number of cases in recent years is “worrying” as it raises the possibility of “wider spread and challenges in treatment”.
Dr Helen Fifer, consultant microbiologist at UKHSA, said: ‘Gonorrhoea is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, increasing the risk of it becoming untreatable in the future.
‘Untreated gonorrhea can lead to serious health problems, including pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility.
‘Condoms are the best defense, but if you haven’t used one with a new or recent casual partner, get tested to detect the infection and prevent onward transmission.’
Professor Matt Phillips, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, said: ‘The rise in antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea infections in England is a worrying trend that must be addressed with immediate action.
‘Antibiotic resistance in STIs poses an increasingly significant threat to public health, potentially causing physical and psychological harm and placing additional demands on other parts of the NHS.
‘BASHH, along with sector partners, has repeatedly called for a sexual health strategy for England; this must be a priority if our expert sexual health workforce is to effectively meet these growing and changing sexual health needs.’
Meanwhile, the latest UKHSA data shows that syphilis rates continue to rise.
Syphilis can cause serious, irreversible, and potentially fatal damage to the brain, heart, or nerves if left untreated.
In 2023, infectious syphilis diagnoses rose to 9,513, an increase of 9.4 percent from 2022 (8,693).
The highest rates were among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, but the largest proportional increase between 2022 and 2023 was among heterosexuals.
UKHSA also reminds healthcare professionals to look out for the signs of syphilis.
The UKHSA says the rise in gonorrhoea and syphilis diagnoses will be partly due to increased testing, but may also be due to increased transmission of these STIs within the population.
She added: “Both STIs are easy to catch and are on the rise.”
‘If you have condomless sex with new or casual partners, regular STI and HIV testing is essential to maintaining good sexual health.
‘Testing is free and can be accessed through local sexual health clinics, college and university medical centers, or through self-sampling kits sent discreetly by mail.’