Portsmouth and Hampshire cases of gonorrhoea up by more than 40 per cent in a year

Public Health England figures show 345 cases of gonorrhoea were diagnosed in Portsmouth in 2019, up by 43 per cent from the 241 infections reported a year in 2018.

It is the highest number since comparable local records began in 2012.

Health bosses have said the increase is partly down to an increase in testing but also follows a national upwards trend.

Cases across Hampshire also went up, going from 573 infections in 2018 to 809 last year, marking a 41 per cent increase in gonorrhoea.

The bacterial sexually transmitted infection is passed between people through unprotected vaginal, oral and anal sex.

Nationally, cases swelled by 26 per cent.

Clare Scholfield, interim clinical director of Sexual Health Services at Solent NHS Trust, said: ‘We know that this increase is part of a national trend where there has been an increase in gonorrhoea across England.

‘We can partly attribute this to an increase in testing, seven per cent increase in Hampshire and six per cent increase in Portsmouth.’

Gonorrhoea is the second most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the UK after chlamydia and can sometimes be symptomless.

The NHS says 90 per cent of men will get symptoms compared with only about 50 per cent of women.

Ms Scholfield added: ‘Looking after your sexual health is vitally important and we are here to support you so you can have safer sex and understand contraception choices.

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‘Gonorrhoea is treatable with antibiotics. The test is a simple urine sample of self-taken swab. You can get tested by visiting one of the sexual health clinics or by doing an online test.

‘Using a condom is the best way to prevent STIs. We offer condoms free and discretely through our condom by post service.

‘We have sexual health clinics across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Our service is free, confidential and non-judgemental.

‘Testing is available in our clinics and you can also order testing kits online – so you don’t necessarily need a face-to-face appointment.’

For more information about preventing STIs, contraception or other sexual health queries please visit letstalkaboutit.nhs.uk

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