THE UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released its annual sexually transmitted infection (STI) data, revealing mixed trends in 2024, with continuing concern over rising syphilis and drug-resistant gonorrhoea.
UKHSA’s analysis shows a 2% increase in early-stage syphilis diagnoses in England, climbing from 9,375 in 2023 to 9,535 in 2024. Total syphilis cases, including complications and late-stage infections, rose by 5% to 13,030. Surveillance also detected a growing number of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea cases, especially ceftriaxone-resistant strains. The latest figures show 14 such cases were reported between January–May 2025, already surpassing the 13 cases recorded in all of 2024. Six of these were classified as extensively drug-resistant. Most were linked to travel to the Asia-Pacific region, where resistance is prevalent.
Despite these challenges, there was a notable 16% fall in gonorrhoea diagnoses, dropping to 71,802 cases in 2024 from 85,370 in 2023. This decline was most pronounced in 15 to 24-year-olds, where cases decreased by 36%. Chlamydia diagnoses also fell by 13% to 168,889, and genital warts diagnoses dropped by 4%. The number of sexual health screens remained largely stable year-on-year, indicating continued public engagement with STI testing services.
Though reductions in some STIs are encouraging, UKHSA warns that overall levels remain high and that vulnerable populations, including young people, men who have sex with men, and some minority ethnic groups, continue to be disproportionately affected. With the world’s first gonorrhoea vaccine programme due to launch in August, clinicians are urged to support testing, prevention, and vaccination efforts in the months ahead.
Reference
GOV.UK. UKHSA publishes latest STI data. 2025. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-publishes-latest-sti-data. Last accessed: 04 June 2025.
