New figures reveal 2012 rise in STI diagnosis rates

New figures from Public Health England (PHE) has revealed that the number of new sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnoses rose by five percent in 2012.

The figure increased from 428,255 in 2011 to 448,422 last year, which was mostly thanks to improvements in data collection, but the high rate suggests that too many people are still putting themselves at risk of infection through unsafe sex.

Young adults and men who have sex with men were named as the groups at greatest risk of contracting an STI, while chlamydia remained the most commonly-diagnosed condition, followed by genital warts and genital herpes.

A 21 percent rise in new gonorrhoea diagnoses was also highlighted as a cause for concern, due to the growing global threat posed by antibiotic resistance.

Dr Gwenda Hughes, the PHE's head of STI surveillance, said: "Ongoing investment in programmes to increase sexual health awareness, condom use and testing, particularly for groups at most risk, is vital."

This comes after the government allocated eight million pounds to driving down HIV infections and spreading awareness of sexual health issues last summer.