The Government is urging people to test for gonorrhoea - as cases of the sexually transmitted infection (STI) have soared since Covid.
New figures show gonorrhoea diagnoses in the first nine months of last year rose to more than 56,000 - 21 per cent higher than the same period in 2019.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has now issued a warning, urging people to use condoms and to get tested regularly if having sex with new or casual partners.
Gonorrhoea can easily be passed through unprotected sex, but people infected with the STI often have no symptoms.
Symptoms include a thick green or yellow discharge from the vagina or penis, pain when urinating, pain and discomfort in the rectum and, in women, lower abdominal pain and bleeding between periods.
But the NHS estimates around half of infected women, and around one in 10 infected men are symptomless.
It is usually treated easily with antibiotics, but if left untreated can cause serious health issues including infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease.
Recent years have seen the emergence of ‘super-gonorrhoea’, with resistance to ceftriaxone, the main antibiotic used to treat the STI.
Dr Claire Dewsnap, President of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, said: “The rise in gonorrhoea cases provides an important reminder of the importance of testing for STIs and wearing a condom every time you have sex.
“By getting tested at least once a year, regardless of whether you’re showing symptoms, you can help minimise the risk of catching or passing on STIs when having sex.
“Delaying access to the right care and treatment also risks developing longer term problems which can be more difficult to address.
“If you are concerned about STI transmission, sexual health clinics are on hand to help.”
Young people aged 15 to 24 years remain most likely to be diagnosed with STIs, due to more frequent changes in sexual partners.
Dr Katy Sinka, Consultant Epidemiologist and Head of the STI section at UKHSA, said: “Condoms aren’t just about preventing unwanted pregnancy; they are the main defence against STIs.
“If you have had condomless sex with a new or casual partner, it is even more important to get tested to detect any potential infections early and prevent passing them on to others.
“You can get free condoms at your local sexual health clinic and if you’re under 25, you can also get them online.”
Dr Thomas Waite, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health and Social Care added that using condoms and getting tested for gonorrhoea “are essential in preventing and addressing the rise in cases we are currently seeing”.
“Testing is simple – samples are quick to take, can be collected at home, and sent off by post for analysis, making early detection accessible to everyone,” he said.
Testing is free and can be accessed through local sexual health clinics, university and college medical centres or through self-sampling kits sent discreetly through the post.
