Infectious gonorrhoea and syphilis at record levels in Peterborough for more than a decade

Diagnoses of gonorrhoea and syphilis have hit record levels in Peterborough – with large rises noticed particularly in young people.

It comes as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned gonorrhoea diagnoses were highest on record while syphilis diagnoses were highest since 1948.

According to the latest available data, in Peterborough the number of gonorrhoea diagnoses in 2022 topped 220 – 164 cases more than a decade ago.

This equates to 102 cases per 100,000 people.

Meanwhile, last year, there were 37 cases of syphilis in the city – 29 more recorded cases than compared to 2012. This is 17 cases per 100,000 people.

Testing is important

Dr Hamish Mohammed, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: "We saw more gonorrhoea 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.

"Condoms are the best defence, but if you didn’t use one the last time you had sex with a new or casual partner, get tested to detect any potential infections early and prevent passing them on to others.

"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.

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

Across the UK, gonorrhoea diagnoses increased to 82,592 in 2022, an increase of 50.3% compared to 2021 (54,961) and 16.1% compared to 2019 (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic) – this is the highest number of diagnoses in any one year since records began in 1918.

Infectious syphilis diagnoses increased to 8,692 in 2022, up 15.2% compared to 2021 (7,543) and 8.1% compared to 2019 – this is the largest annual number since 1948.

In 2022, there were over 400 diagnoses of STIs made each day among young people.

There were 2,195,909 sexual health screens (diagnostic tests for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis or HIV) performed by sexual health services, an increase of 13.4% compared to 2021 (1,936,455).