Gonorrhoea infections on the rise in Dorset

There's been a sharp rise in Gonorrhea infections in Dorset

Public Health England figures show 138 cases of the sexually transmitted infection were diagnosed in the county last year.

That's up by 41 per cent from the year before.

Cases across England swelled by 26% over the year to 70,936 which is the highest number since records began in 1918.

COMMON STI

Gonorrhoea is the second most common bacterial STI in the UK after chlamydia and can sometimes be symptomless.

You can find out more on the NHS website. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gonorrhoea/

CONCERNS OVER RISE

Dr Hamish Mohammed, national lead 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."

STI CASES ON RISE IN DORSET

In Dorset, overall STI cases fell to 2,150 last year, down by 5% from 2,255 in 2018.

Across England, cases rose by 5%.

PHE said the rise was likely to be due to people not using condoms correctly and consistently with new and casual partners, and an increase in testing helping improve detection of the most common infections.

Chlamydia was the most commonly diagnosed infection last year.

Among young people aged 15 to 24, the number of chlamydia tests carried out rose 2% compared with 2018.

Dr John McSorley, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, said the year-on-year rise in STI diagnoses is "hugely concerning".

"This year we have seen how crucial investment in public health services is to support the wellbeing of populations more widely, and we must consider how we can continue to improve access to services for all those who need them and those at the highest risk."