The Tinder effect? STI testing soars

SEXUAL health services are being ‘stretched to the limit’, with a record 3.3million people visiting clinics last year, council leaders are warning.

The rise in demand comes as local authority public health service budgets are being slashed by hundreds of millions of pounds, the Local Government Association (LGA) said.

It comes amid fears that online dating apps such as Tinder and Grindr are fuelling a rise in sexual activity. Last year, there were 3,323,000 visits to sexual health clinics in England – up 13 per cent from 2,941,000 in 2013.

The increased number of visits is equivalent to an extra 210 a day.

Screening for sexually tramsmitted infections (STIs) including chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV has risen by nearly a fifth during that time – from 1,513,000 in 2013 to 1,778,000.

The LGA is urging the Government to reverse £600million of health cuts to help councils meet demand. Councillor Ian Hudspeth, of the LGA, said: ‘With resources stretched to the limit, clinics are reporting an increase in the number of delays and people turned away.’

Experts say the problem is compounded because people often do not stay in touch with their online dates.

Dr Olwen Williams, of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, said: ‘It’s difficult to get partners in because they can often be anonymous people who they met on Tinder and Grindr.’