STI rates among gay men and young people ‘remain persistently high’

High rates of sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) continue to be a problem for gay men and young people in England, according to a new report.

The latest data from Public Health England shows there were 434,456 STIs reported in England in 2015, with 54,275 of these being gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men. This represented a ten percent increase since 2014.

People under the age of 25 remain at greatest risk of STIs, with chlamydia identified as the most commonly diagnosed infection, accounting for 46 percent of diagnoses, followed by genital warts with 68,310 cases.

Overall, the 2015 statistics represent a small decrease of three percent when compared to 2014, but the prevalence of gonorrhoea and syphilis rose, mostly among men who have sex with men.

Dr Gwenda Hughes, head of STI surveillance at Public Health England, said: "The new statistics show STI rates are still very high among gay men and young adults. We need to do more to raise awareness about STIs and how they can be prevented, especially the effectiveness of using condoms."

She advised anyone having sex with a new or casual partner to use condoms and test regularly for HIV and STIs.