Almost a third of sexually transmitted infections recorded last year were in London, figures revealed on Wednesday, with rates of gonorrhoea and syphilis seeing a sharp rise in the capital.
Analysis of UK Health Security Agency figures by the Standard shows that 32 per cent of all STIs in England in 2023 were reported in the capital.
The overall number of new STIs diagnosed in the capital jumped by 28 per cent last year compared with 2021, the figures show.
Cases of syphilis in London have risen by 23 per cent in three years and now account for nearly half (46 per cent) of all infections in England. Gonorrhoea infections have also increased by 40 per cent in the capital during the same period.
Overall, figures show there were 401,800 new cases of STIs diagnosed in 2023 in England – a rise of 4.7 per cent since 2022.
Chlamydia cases accounted for almost half of these, with 194,970 diagnoses in 2023.
The figures also showed that there was a larger proportional increase in syphilis diagnoses among heterosexual men and women than among gay and bisexual men.
Richard Angell, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said the STI figures were a "wake up call" for the Government.
He said: “It is no surprise that the lowest spending on sexual health has led to the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections... Sexual health services are doing even more with even less. Demand for services increased again this year, while there has been a 40% real terms cut to public health funding since 2015/15.”
Dr Claire Dewsnap, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, Women and Equalities Committee in January that sexual health services in England are “very close to a crisis” with clinics forced to ration the amount of free condoms they give out.
She said many clinics have to ration free condoms.
“People do use them if they’re available free, and people do still ask for them,” she told the WEC.
“But in many clinics, unfortunately, as horrific as this sounds, we ration how many we give.”
The Local Government Association (LGA) said the figures show the next government should implement a 10-year sexual health strategy.
The association, which represents councils which have the responsibility for commissioning sexual health services, said a long-term strategy is needed to help prevent and treat infections.
David Fothergill, from the LGA, said: “Councils want to continue encouraging more people to visit their local sexual health clinic, in particular hard-to-reach communities.
“However, today’s figures show sexual health services continue to face rising demand pressures.
“This is why we are calling for a new 10-year strategy to tackle infection rates, and ensure that sexual health services are properly funded and resourced in the long term.”
