Rise in STI rates spark alarm as infections hit record highs

Time to get tested

While gonorrhoea can be easily treated, leaving it untreated can have long-term health implications. Image: Getty

Teenagers and young adults are at an all-time high risk of contracting an STI as rates of common infections rise across Australia and the UK.

After taking a dive amid the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, sexually transmitted infections are back on the rise, according to new research. 

Annual figures from Australia’s Kirby Institute and the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) both show a steep increase in transmission rates of gonorrhoea and syphilis throughout 2022, marking a rise in case numbers throughout 2020 and 2021, with people aged 15 to 24 most at risk. 

Releasing their findings this week, UKSHA data revealed gonorrhoea diagnoses in the United Kingdom had increased by 50.3 per cent compared to 2021, recording a total number of 82,592 cases. It marked the highest number of recorded infections across a single year since the data collection began in 1918. 

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Cases of syphilis were also on the rise in 2022, with the UKSHA recording 8,692 cases - the highest number of cases since World War II.

In Australia, 86,916 cases of chlamydia, 26,577 cases of gonorrhoea and 5,570 cases of syphilis were recorded in 2021, according to the Kirby Institute, which warned the numbers are likely an underrepresentation of active cases within the community due to a decline in STI checks. Throughout 2021, modelling showed chlamydia and gonorrhoea tests were down 14 per cent compared to pre-COVID levels.  

When compared with the UK case numbers, Australia ranks slightly lower in gonorrhoea per capita but higher in syphilis. 

There's been a steep increase in transmission rates of gonorrhoea and syphilis. Image: Getty

Condoms still remain the most effective preventative when it comes to STIs, but research from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) shows women are unconfident in negotiating or requesting the use of a condom with a male sexual partner, particularly when alcohol or other substances have been consumed. In addition to recommending the use of condoms, the Department of Health and Ageing also suggests undergoing regular STI checks and undergoing checks before engaging with a new sexual partner. 

While gonorrhoea can be easily treated with antibiotics, leaving the infection untreated can have long-term health implications, including reduced fertility and pelvic inflammation. Similarly, syphilis can be treated with penicillin, however, if left untreated, it can lead to full-body rashes, sores and hair loss, as well as long-term damage to the nerves, bones, liver, eyes, heart and brain. Untreated syphilis can also be passed onto babies during pregnancy. 

Speaking of the UK findings this week, Dr Hamish Mohammed, a consultant epidemiologist with the UKHSA, said,  "STIs aren't just an inconvenience - they can have a major impact on your health and that of any sexual partners.”

Originally published as Rise in STI rates spark alarm as infections hit record highs