England's Sexually Transmitted Disease Outbreaks Set Records

New data announced today by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) indicates record levels of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were diagnosed in England during 2022.

Published on June 6, 2023, this new UKHSA report analyzes the 400 sexually transmitted infections (STIs) diagnoses made daily in 2022.

The latest data shows gonorrhea diagnoses totaled 82,592 in 2022, an increase of 50.3% in one year. This is the most significant number of gonorrhea diagnoses in any one year since 1918.

And infectious syphilis diagnoses increased to 8,692 in 2022, up 15.2% compared to 2021.

This is the largest annual number of syphilis cases since 1948.

Furthermore, chlamydia diagnoses increased by 24.3% to reach 199,233 in 2022.

While the increase in gonorrhea and syphilis diagnoses is in part due to testing, the scale of the increase in diagnoses strongly suggests there is more transmission of STIs within England's population, wrote the UKHSA.

Dr. Hamish Mohammed, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, commented in a related press release, "We saw more gonorrhea diagnoses in 2022 than ever before, with large rises, particularly in young people."

"STIs aren't just an inconvenience – they can have a major impact on your health and that of any sexual partners."

"Testing is important because you may not have any symptoms of an STI."

Though STIs are usually easily treated with antibiotics, many can cause serious health issues if left untreated.

For example, chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease, while syphilis can cause serious, irreversible, and potentially life-threatening problems with your brain, heart, or nerves.

Unfortunately, these STIs do not have approved vaccines available in 2023.

However, a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases in June 2022 suggested that a meningococcal serogroup B (MenB-4C) vaccine may offer cross-protection against gonorrhea infection.

And in France, meningococcal vaccination is recommended against gonorrhea. 

Other STIs, such as human papillomavirus and mpox, can be prevented with approved vaccines.

Sexually Transmitted Disease vaccine news is posted by Precision Vaccinations.