The UK Health Security Agency has warned students not to have unprotected sex as cases of a Biblical STI remain dangerously high – and our map reveals how infections have soared where you live
Students are being urged to use protection during Freshers Week as rates of a historically notorious STI remain alarmingly high. Despite recent data indicating an “encouraging” drop in gonorrhoea cases – an ancient sexually transmitted infection mentioned in Biblical, Greek and Roman texts – the numbers remain worryingly high.
This comes as the UK Health Security Agency advises students against engaging in unprotected sex. Medical professionals note that while STIs are “declining from a high level”, students must be cognisant of the risks associated with these infections, which are most prevalent among 15 to 24 year olds.
Last year, England reported 71,802 cases of gonorrhoea, a figure that’s twice the number from ten years ago and a staggering 167% higher than in 2012.
The infection rate, which gauges the risk of contracting a disease, was recorded at 124.5 infections per 100,000 people in 2024. This equates to one in 803 individuals contracting this STI, a rate that’s double that of a decade ago (68.3 infections per 100,000 people).
However, this is lower than last year’s figure (148.0 infections per 100,000 people), when gonorrhoea cases peaked at 85,370, the highest ever since records began over a century ago. Cases had been escalating dramatically over the past decade, only to dip during the lockdowns and isolation periods of the pandemic, before surging back to record levels once restrictions were lifted, reports the Mirror.
Whilst infections dropped by 16% in 2024 – and are continuing to decline, with 2,030 cases recorded between January and March this year, down from 2,320 cases in the previous quarter from October to December 2024 – they still remain at historically elevated levels.
The chance of catching gonorrhoea varies dramatically across the country, with London bearing the brunt. In the past year, Lambeth recorded a staggering 3,516 gonorrhoea diagnoses.
Taking population size into account, this works out at 1,113.7 infections per 100,000 residents – roughly equivalent to one in every 90 people contracting gonorrhoea. Every single one of the 15 areas with the steepest infection rates were located in London.
Lambeth topped the list, followed by Southwark (958.3 per 100,000), with Hackney coming third (866.5 per 100,000). Beyond the capital, the highest risk of contracting gonorrhoea was found in Manchester (271.4 infections per 100,000 people), Brighton (259.6 per 100,000), Salford (246.0), Liverpool (216.6), and Nottingham (203.8).
UKHSA Consultant Epidemiologist Dr Hamish Mohammed commented: “Starting university is an exciting time – don’t let getting an STI ruin the fun. Rates of STIs remain high among young people, but there are simple steps you can take to protect yourself.
“Using condoms is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk. If you’ve had condomless sex with a new or casual partner and are experiencing any STI symptoms, it’s important to get tested. Testing is free and confidential and gives you peace of mind as you start the new academic year.”
Gonorrhoea has ancient origins, stretching back to Biblical times, with references to this sexually transmitted infection appearing in humanity’s earliest documented records. The condition is believed to be mentioned multiple times throughout the Bible, notably in the Old Testament’s Book of Leviticus, which cautions: “The man that hath an issue of seed, shall be unclean.”
Romans, Jews and Arabs all possessed writings that referenced gonorrhoea, with each civilisation providing their own descriptions of symptoms and remedies. Historical accounts tell of Pasiphae, King Minos of Crete’s wife, who reportedly employed a goat’s bladder as protection, as the monarch’s semen was allegedly filled with “scorpions and serpents” that proved fatal to his lovers.
The infection’s title is nearly as old as its documented descriptions. The name is believed to have originated from Roman doctor Galen around 130 AD, who characterised gonorrhoea as an “involuntary escape of semen”.
Signs of gonorrhoea, previously dubbed “the clap”, encompass a thick green or yellow discharge from the vagina or penis, discomfort during urination and, for women, bleeding between periods. Typically, it’s transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse or occasionally by sharing sex toys, but it can also be passed from a pregnant woman to her unborn child.
If left untreated, complications can arise such as pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and infertility in women; and scrotal swelling, urethral stricture – which can make urination painful and lead to infection – and infertility in men. Without appropriate treatment, gonorrhoea can result in irreversible blindness.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
#STI #warning #Biblical #infection #cases #soar #student #warning #issued
