Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 05, 2026

UK's sexual health is 'not in good shape'

Two leading sexual health charities are calling on the government to invest more in sexual health clinics and sex education in the UK.

Nearly half of all new sexually transmitted infections are in people under 25.

And there's a new STI diagnosis in England every 70 seconds.

The Terrence Higgins Trust and British Association for Sexual Health and HIV have teamed up to say more needs to be done.

Their new report claims the government has cut sexual health spending in England by 25% since 2014.


Gonorrhoea cases up by 249%

The report looked into nearly half a million STI diagnoses in 2018 and found cases of gonorrhoea were up by 249% and syphilis up by 165% in the last ten years.

Research also found that the people most affected by STIs were gay men, who accounted for 75% of all syphilis and nearly 50% of gonorrhoea diagnoses in England.

Some of the highest overall rates of STIs were reported in Black Caribbean and Black non-Caribbean/non-African populations.

The report did find some positive action had been taken - HIV prevention tools (like the drug PReP) mean there had been a 6% reduction in diagnoses from 2017-2018.


Dr Alex: 'Don't be afraid of an STI check-up'

Dr Alex George has worked in obstetrics and gynaecology and offers sexual health advice on his social media and YouTube channel.

"The important thing is to not be worried about going to an STI clinic for a check up and asking any questions you might have," he tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.

"If you haven't had a check up in recent months or you've just got a new partner then please get yourself checked out."

He says that a good starting point is looking at resources online - including the sexual health charity Brook and the NHS website.


'It's right to look after your health'


One of the big talking points to come from this recent survey is the worry people have about the stigma of visiting a sexual health clinic.

"Remember the number one thing is looking after you and your body - it's your right to look after your own health," Dr Alex says.

"If you go to a sexual health clinic and see other people, remember they are there for the same reason as you so take comfort in that and focus on the fact you are looking after yourself."

When it comes to having a conversation with a new partner about using a condom he says to "remember safety first."

"Be casual about the conversation and don't over-think it. People feel like they have to have a big conversation but just stay firm and do what you want to do.

"If the person doesn't want to use a condom then you have your answer there - do what you have to do," he says.

The HPV vaccine programme was also credited for reducing cases of genital warts by 3% since 2017.

Recommendations in the report include providing local government with more funding to improve sexual health services and doing more to encourage people to get help even when they might feel there is stigma or discrimination linked with having an STI.

Jonathan McShane, chair of Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "This report shows that the nation's sexual health is not in good shape and this must be a wake up call to the Government to take action.

"It's clear to see that sexual health has been neglected for too long and has not been a priority for successive governments."

In response to the report, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said:

"More people than ever are now able to access sexual health services and we strongly urge people to take advantage of this free, local service if they consider themselves to be at risk.

"Our new sexual and reproductive health strategy will be published this year."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Spain and Morocco Trade Blame After 72,000 Migrants Enter Ceuta
Met Police Investigated Journalist Who Questioned Cambridge Professor
Badenoch Defends Tory Candidate Jailed for Antisemitic Abuse of Luciana Berger
NHS Spends £240m a Year Storing Paper Records Despite Digital Push
Apple Seeks Court Order to Stop OpenAI Using Alleged Trade Secrets
Breaking With the Past: One of the World’s Smallest Countries Changes Its Name
AI Is Remaking the US Economy, From GDP Growth to iPhone Prices
Comcast: Tied to a Chair and Hit in the Face With Cake: The Regular Humiliation Ritual at the US Corporate Giant
Aston Martin Faces Legal Threat Over £550m Rescue Deal
Reform UK Wants the Royal Navy to Return Channel Boats to France
US and Japan Step In to Support the Yen in Rare Joint Intervention
The AI Pricing Problem: Companies Cannot Predict Their Own Bills
Europe’s Heat and Drought Are Now Disrupting Power, Shipping and Tourism
Apple’s OpenAI Lawsuit Becomes a Public Fight Over AI Hardware
UK Man Jailed After Keeping His Mother’s Body in a Freezer and Claiming £78,000
A SpaceX Rocket Is About to Crash Into the Moon — and Scientists Hope to Watch
World War II munitions discovered after wildfires in southern France
BP profits reach four-year high amid Middle East conflict
Europe’s Drying Rivers Trigger Power Cuts, Factory Shutdowns and Wildfire Emergencies
Nigel Farage Expresses Openness to Potential Alliance with Restore Britain
Triple Lock Lifts UK State Pension but Leaves a Wider Retirement Gap
Danube Drought Forces Hungary’s Paks Nuclear Plant Into Full Shutdown
Ceuta Death Toll Rises as Spain and Europe Clash Over Border Response
Cuba’s Grid Fails Again as Fuel Crisis Deepens
Nazca Lines Flight Crash Kills Thirteen as Peru Suspends Aerodiana
Modern Slavery Decisions Broaden the Al Fayed Inquiry’s Frame
FIFA’s Retreat Leaves a Larger Question Over Who Guards the Game
Two Firefighting Crew Members Die in Helicopter Collision West of Athens
Ceuta Border Surge Recasts Europe’s Migration Debate
Burnham Promises a Harder Channel Response as Crossings Test His New Government
Finland Deploys Commercial-Scale Thermal Batteries Using Crushed Rock to Store Renewable Grid Energy
Valued at $109 Million: F-35B Fighter Jet Crashes in Southern California
Andy Burnham has Announces Plans to Redistribute Income Tax Revenue to English Mayors
Early-Release Scheme Faces Fresh Scrutiny as Reoffending and Prison Recalls Rise
Police Phone Checks Followed Report on Murder of MI5 Agent Inside Sinn Féin
Archbishop of Canterbury Reaffirms £100 Million Reparative Justice Fund During Ghana Visit
Drought Status Extended Across All of Wales as Heat and Dry Weather Deepen Environmental Strain
Record-Low Danube Exposes Probable Mammoth Remains in Bulgaria
US Says It Has Carried Out Heavy Strikes on Iran After Attempted Attacks on Its Forces
The chief executive of the popular gaming company laid off many employees and his pay rose to 38 million dollars
The World's Most Terrifying Smartphone: Recording, Documenting, and Reporting to the Regime
The AI User Nightmare: Private Claude Conversations Leaked to the Internet
UK: Former Football Association Leaders Call for World Cup Boycott Over FIFA Privatization Plan
Forbidden Love: China severs millions from their virtual partners
Over 24 Hours in the Air: Qantas Airbus Completes Record-Breaking Test Flight
Zuckerberg Opposes US Ban on Chinese AI Models and Warns of Regulatory Capture
Massive Wildfires Ravage Southern Europe: Fatalities in Greece and Evacuations Across France, Spain, and Turkey
Trump says Israel ‘would not survive’ without US
France Evacuates Atlantic Coast Resorts as Wildfire Risk Rises Again
Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes Kumamoto as Rescuers Search Collapsed Buildings
×