Gonorrhoea cases have soared 26% in a year to the highest level since records began in 1918, Public Health England report reveals

• Some 70,936 people diagnosed with the sexually transmitted infection last year 
• Highest since records began in 1918 and marks a 26 per cent increase from 2018
• Health bosses said the spike is largely being driven by gay and bisexual men

More people are catching gonorrhea in England and Wales than ever before, official figures revealed today.

There were 70,936 cases of the sexually transmitted infection last year, the highest number since records began in 1918. 

It marks a 26 per cent increase from 2018 and 71 per cent jump from levels seen in 2015, according to Public Health England.

Health bosses said the spike is largely being driven by gay and bisexual men, but diagnoses have risen among women and straight males.

Chlamydia and syphilis are also the most prevalent they have been in at least a decade.

In response to the figures, PHE has urged people to start using condoms properly and for hospitals, clinics and GP surgeries to make them more available.

 More people are catching gonorrhea in England and Wales than ever before, official figures revealed today. Health bosses said the spike is largely being driven by gay and bisexual men

But diagnoses have risen among women, according to the report by Public Health England

Annual figures released by PHE today showed there were 468,342 STI diagnoses last year – up five per cent on the year before. 

These include gonorrhoea, chlamydia and syphilis, as well as genital herpes, genital warts, non-specific genital infections, pelvic inflammatory disease and mycoplasma genitalium.

Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae or gonococcus.

This bacteria is usually found in discharge from the penis or vaginal fluid.

It is passed through unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex, as well as sharing vibrators or sex toys that have been used without a condom.

The bacteria can infect the cervix, urethra, rectum, throat or eyes.

It can also spread from pregnant women to their unborn babies.

As the bacteria cannot survive outside the body for long, gonorrhoea is not spread by kissing, hugging, sharing towels, toilet seats or swimming.

Around one in 10 men and half of women experience no symptoms. 

However, these can include:

• Thick green or yellow discharge from the genitals
• Pain when urinating
• Bleeding between periods in women

Treatment is usually a single antibiotic injection and tablet. 

Gonorrhoea can be prevented by using condoms during sex and not sharing sex toys.

Source: NHS Choices  

The biggest rise was a 196 per cent spike in people testing positive for mycoplasma genitalium, with 5,311 diagnoses in 2019.

But this increase reflects a dramatic rise in the availability of testing for the bacterial infection in the urinary tract.

Gonorrhoea cases rose by 26 per cent from 56,259 to 70,936. Almost half of these cases were gay and bisexual men.

Since 2015, gonorrhoea diagnoses have risen by 71 per cent, when just 41,382 people were testing positive a year.

Gonorrhoea is a particular cause for concern among experts because the bacteria are evolving to become resistant to antibiotics. 

As well as gonorrhoea, syphilis – a disease often associated with Victorian times and the damage it could do before antibiotics were invented – is on the rise.  

Cases of the bacterial infection have more than doubled since 2009 from 2,847 to 7,982. PHE’s data revealed. It is thought to be at the highest levels in almost 70 years. 

Chlamydia – the most common STI – rose by five per cent between 2018 and 2019 to 229,411 cases – making up 49 per cent of the total STI diagnoses last year.

PHE says the people most at risk of sexually transmitted infections are those aged between 15 and 24, black people and gay and bisexual men.

The sharpest rise in cases was seen among people aged over 65.

In the past experts have suggested better health in old age, readily available Viagra and online dating may be making older people more promiscuous.

Experts have blamed increasing infections on budget cuts to sexual health clinics across the country, as well as online dating apps.

Apps such as Tinder, Grindr and Bumble make it relatively easy for people to meet new sexual partners, meet them quickly and move onto someone else.

This could increase the risk of catching STIs by allowing a quick turnover of partners and make people less likely to contact past partners if they’re diagnosed.

HOW TO USE A MALE CONDOM PROPERLY 

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

Check the condom is in date and open the packet with your hands, taking care not to damage the condom (left). Make sure the condom is the right way round – the roll and lubricant should be on the outside – and place it on the tip of the penis. If uncircumcised you should pull the foreskin back first (right)

Pinch the tip of the condom to squeeze out any trapped air, then use your fingers to roll the condom down the penis (left). Roll the condom all the way to the base of the penis (right) – if you don’t go all the way it is more likely to come off during sex

After ejaculation or at the end of sex, squeeze the condom by the base before pulling the penis out of the vagina or anus (left). If you don’t hold it it may slide off too soon. Remove the condom from the penis and throw it in the bin (right) – don’t flush it down the toilet because it could clog pipes

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