Sex infection cases soaring
GONORRHOEA REPORTS UP 47% IN A YEAR AND SUPER-STRAINS NOW APPEARING
A RECORD number of people are being diagnosed with gonorrhoea after the emergence of a super-strain of the sexually-transmitted infection.
New figures from Public Health England reveal that there were 302 diagnoses of the infection in Leicester in 2018, up 47.3 per cent on the previous year.
It is the highest figure in Leicester since modern records began in 2012.
There were also 1,715 recorded cases of chlamydia in the city in 2018, 297 of genital warts, 102 of genital herpes, and 28 of syphilis, according to the Reach Plc Data Unit.
Campaigners from a sexual health charity have urged ministers to “wake up to this crisis”, and said the government’s handling of sexual health is “simply not good enough”.
Gonorrhoea is caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoea and is usually spread through unprotected sex.
An untreated infection can lead to infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease. It can be passed on to a child during pregnancy.
The first case of super-gonorrhea was diagnosed in a male patient in March last year.
It was the first time the infection was not treatable with first-choice antibiotics.
The man’s infection was eventually successfully treated with a different drug.
A recent government report found “antimicrobial resistance is becoming a major issue in the treatment of gonorrhoea,” and that there have been a further two cases of gonorrhea superstrains in the past three months.
The report warned if the issue is not addressed, gonorrhoea will “no longer be a disease that is curable with one injection”. Across England, overall sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnoses jumped from 413,233 cases to 447,694 between 2017 and 2018.
Dr Gwenda Hughes, head of STI surveillance at Public Health England, said: “The rise in sexually transmitted infections is concerning.
“STIs can pose serious consequences to health – both your own and that of current and future sexual partners. No matter what age you are, or what type of relationship you are in, it’s important to look after your sexual health.
“If you have sex with a new or casual partner, make sure you use condoms and get regularly tested.”
Debbie Laycock, head of policy and public affairs at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “We are calling on the government to show leadership by urgently committing to an ambitious national sexual health strategy which fast-tracks action to address STIs.
“Sexual health funding must be increased as part of the forthcoming spending review to ensure services can properly meet demand.
“The STI statistics demonstrates very clearly the dire impact on sexual health that decisions being made by central government are having.
“Ministers need to wake up to this crisis and take decisive action.
“Their handling of sexual health to date is simply not good enough.”
Anti-microbial resistance is becoming a major issue in the treatment of gonorrhoea