Gonorrhoea cases are on in Kingston upon Thames, new official figures have revealed.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed last week that gonorrhoea and syphilis infections had reached record levels in 2022. With 82,592 cases of gonorrhoea - up 50% on the 54,661 recorded the year before, and syphilis cases showing an increase of 15% from 7,543 to 8,692.

Zoning in on Kingston upon Thames, the borough has also seen an increase in gonorrhoea cases with the borough showing 203 cases in 2022, an increase of 66 on the year before where there were 137.

Despite syphilis cases in the UK being at their highest level since just after the Second World War, Kingston saw a slight reduction with 20, down from 26 in 2021.

The age group most likely to be diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) is people who are 15-24.

Some of the rise will be due to increased testing, but the scale of the surge strongly suggests that there are more of the infections around, says the UKHSA. 

Dr Hamish Mohammed, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: "We saw more gonorrhoea diagnoses in 2022 than ever before, with large rises particularly in young people. STIs aren't just an inconvenience – they can have a major impact on your health and that of any sexual partners.

"Condoms are the best defence, but if you didn't use one the last time you had sex with a new or casual partner, get tested to detect any potential infections early and prevent passing them on to others. Testing is important because you may not have any symptoms of an STI."

The UKHSA has also warned that gonorrhoea is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics and at risk of becoming untreatable in the future, making it vital that people test early and diagnose the infection so that they can prevent passing it on.

How to get tested for an STI

• A sexual health clinic (sometimes also called a GUM clinic)
• Your GP surgery
• A contraceptive and young people's clinic
• A private clinic
• Some tests are free to order online
• Some can be bought from pharmacies to use yourself at home