Sex infections on the increase on Wearside
More sexually transmitted infections were diagnosed in Sunderland last year, new figures show.
Experts are calling for improved access to sexual health services amid an overall rise in STI diagnoses, warning testing should be scaled up as people start to have sex again in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown.
Public Health England figures show 1,743 people in Sunderland were diagnosed with an STI in 2019, a slight increase from 1,738 the previous year.
It meant the area had an infection rate of 628 STIs per 100,000 people – below the North East's average rate of 641.
There were 177 new cases of gonorrhoea in Sunderland, down from 207 the previous year. A further 11 cases were related to syphilis, four fewer than in 2018.
Across England, the number of gonorrhoea cases diagnosed in 2019 reached its highest level since records began more than 100 years ago, with a total of 70,936 cases reported – up by 26 per cent from 2018.
Dr Hamish Mohammed, nationallead for sexually transmitted infection surveillance at PHE, said: "The considerable rise of gonorrhoea cases in England as well as the continued rise of other STIs is concerning.
"It is important to emphasise that STIs can pose serious consequences to health.
"We expect to see further cases of antibiotic resistant gonorrhoea in the future, which will be challenging for healthcare professionals to manage."
Nationally, overall STI cases rose to 468,342 last year, up by five per cent from 447,522 in 2018. Chlamydia was the most commonlydiagnosedinfection last year, with 229,411 – or nearly half – of all new STI diagnoses in 2019.