Recent figures have shown that the number of Sexually Transmitted Diseases diagnosed have risen by 5 percent – however, Public Health England claim that this is most likely attributed to the improved data collection, as opposed to more people contracting diseases. They state that while this is probably the case, there is still a high proportion of people with diseases, contracted through unsafe sex practices, especially amongst young people and the gay community. If someone has sex with a new partner without contraception, or have had sex with more than one partner in the past year, they should get tested immediately to rule out any diseases or infections which could then be passed on to someone else or cause damage to the individual’s health.
The problem needs to be addressed urgently, as the earlier the problems are detected, the more easily they can be treated. People often feel embarrassed to go to their GP, which is why so many people avoid testing. However, a local GUM clinic can offer testing anonymously and without judgement, so more people need to be getting regular check-ups if they are sexually active. Chlamydia remains the most common sexually transmitted disease, but there are high numbers of genital warts and genital herpes as well, which are spreading due to insufficient testing. New figures show that gonorrhoea diagnoses have risen by 21 percent overall. These figures are concerning as the global threat of antibiotic resistance is increasing. The Gonorrhoea Resistance Action Plan for England and Wales is planning to be launched in the next few months to tackle this problem. If you think you may have signs of an infection, it’s crucial that you get tested as soon as possible. Likewise, if you are sexually active, you should schedule regular check-ups to rule out any infections that you may not have symptoms for, despite having caught the disease.