The UK's record number of sex disease cases could be down to the cost of living crisis - which has sparked an increase in condom prices, an expert says. Dr Claire Dewsnap says the nation's ongoing financial woes has affected the cost of protection.
This could mean Brits are avoiding using them - causing a spike in sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The government's health agency said earlier this week gonorrhoea diagnoses are the highest on record.
And syphilis diagnoses are the highest since 1948 - with people aged 15-24 still most likely to catch STIs. Dr Dewsnap said increasing costs means charities and help groups are now also unable to give out as many free condoms.
She is a sexual health consultant and President of The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH). "Health does not exist in a vacuum. What's impacting on people's lives is impacting on people's health," said Dr Dewsnap.
And she claimed: "Over the last ten years, £150 million has been taken out of the public health budget. Although the cost of sexual health services isn't high, we've had to reduce staff and other areas.
"Our condom budget has decreased. In the noughties we were able to give out as many condoms as we wanted to really. But now we can't give out as many as we used to. Condoms themselves are really expensive now too.
"It costs £4 for three condoms, which in this cost of living crisis people can't afford."
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced the shock STI figures yesterday. It said gonorrhoea diagnoses increased to 82,592 in 2022, an increase of 50.3% compared to 2021 (54,961).
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 - the largest annual number in 75 years.
Dr Hamish Mohammed, consultant epidemiologist at the 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.”
The agency emphasised that gonorrhoea is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics and at risk of becoming untreatable in the future - making it vital that people test early. Dr Claire Dewsnap said that a rise in cases had been coming "for a while".
She said: "It's been exacerbated by the disinvestment of the health budget and lack of national strategy.
"Health advisors have had to be reduced, which means tracking is harder and also means we haven't been able to respond to the different ways people now access sexual encounters. We don't know for certain how exactly people's sexual activity has changed.
"But what we know for certain is that services have been cut and people have poorer access to sexual health.
"There's a massive inequality both socioeconomically and geographically in people's access to sexual healthcare too. Getting condoms and even getting to a clinic is easier for people who are least deprived."
Dr Dewsnap reinforced how Britons can reduce the spread of STIs. She said: "As a general rule if you look across the society, telling people not to have sex is pointless. It stigmatises people and we are not behind that.
"We need to support people to be able to access care. If you think you have STI symptoms ring your sexual health clinic as soon as you can.
"There are lots of ways to get tested either with a free at-home test kit or you can book a face to face appointment.
"We're not for blaming people for their infections, but it's important to prevent passing infections on further."
