The number of gonorrhoea and syphilis diagnoses was the highest on record last year, new figures show.
Annual figures from the UK’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show gonorrhoea diagnoses increased to 82,592 in 2022, an increase of 50.3% compared to 2021 (54,961).
This is the highest number of diagnoses in any one year since records began in 1918, the UKHSA said.
Data from the health body also shows that infectious syphilis diagnoses increased to 8,692 in 2022, the largest annual number since 1948.
People aged between 15 and 24 years are the most likely to be diagnosed with STIs due to changing sexual partners more often than other age groups.
Though STIs are usually easily treated with antibiotics, some can cause serious health issues including infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease.
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The UKHSA has urged people to use condoms and get tested regularly if having sex with new or casual partners.