Cases of gonorrhoea have soared by 50% in the past year to the highest on record, while those of syphilis are the highest since 1948, as sexually transmitted infections bounce back following lockdown. The Times has more.
The U.K. Health Security Agency said 82,592 people were diagnosed with gonorrhoea last year, the highest since records began in 1918, amid a rise in antibiotic-resistant infections.
More than a third of these cases were in people aged 15 to 24, but cases in pensioners have also doubled over the past year.
There were 537 gonorrhoea cases in over-65s, up from 289 the year before. Experts are concerned that older adults – some enjoying new-found sexual freedom or online dating after divorce – are not using condoms because of the low pregnancy risk.
Some 8,692 people were diagnosed with syphilis, up 15% on the year before. Syphilis is often thought of as a Victorian-era disease but the bacterial infection has staged a comeback over the past five years, and can cause life-threatening problems with the brain, heart or nerves.
Overall there were 392,453 STI cases, up by 24% on 2021, with chlamydia remaining the most common infection.
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