British students have been warned by top health officials to stay vigilant and look after their sexual health. Students have been urged to use condoms to slow the spread of STIs
University students have been reminded of a key step to take to make sure they stay healthy.
Health officials are urging students use condoms when having sex amid high rates of gonorrhoea and syphilis among young people. There were 1,040 new cases of syphilis and 29,880 cases of gonorrhoea among 15-to-24-year-olds in 2023, according to data from the UK Health Security Agency. This is a similar rate to 2022. Where there were 1,000 and 30,007 in 2022 cases respectively. Among the same age group, there were 4,617 cases of genital warts and 104,107 cases of chlamydia. The year before, there were 5,299 and 108,752 respectively in 2022.
Young people at university should always consider their sexual health. Laura Domegan, head of nursing at Brook sexual health clinics, said according to Birmingham Live: “This year it is particularly important, given the recent increase in diagnoses of several STIs, particularly among young people.”
Katy Sinka, head of STIs at UKHSA, said: “If you’re having sex with someone new, or someone more casually, don’t forget to use a condom. With higher STI rates in young people, having sex without a condom can increase your chances of an infection like chlamydia or gonorrhoea. Getting tested regularly will also help detect any infections quickly and protect your own and your partner’s health.”
Dr Sinka also said in a release by the UKHSA in October last year: “If you’re a student going to university for the first time or returning for a new year, it’s a good idea to get tested before you start having sex with a new or casual partner.” In 2023 there were 401,800 diagnoses of STIs in England. This was a five percent increase from 2022. Just under half of those infections were Chlamydia.
Usually, STIs are easily treated with antibiotics, but the UKHSA said “many can cause serious health issues if left untreated”. In the October 2023 release, health experts explained: “Chlamydia and gonorrhoea can cause infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), while syphilis can cause serious, irreversible and potentially life-threatening problems with your brain, heart, or nerves.”
Many people do not show symptoms of an STI, so health officials stress the importance of regular testing to make sure people are in good sexual health. Experts are also warning about gonorrhoea “becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics and at risk of becoming untreatable in the future”.
