England’s top ten STI hotspots are all in London

Sex is fun. Mostly. It’s fun, that is, until you end up with one of the many unintended, undesired consequences, including (but not limited to) a rash, a confusing situationship, or a real-life child. Sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, are one of the most common unfortunate side effects, and it turns out that London is riddled with ’em.

A study by the UK Health Security Agency has revealed that the ten boroughs in England with the highest rates of STIs are all in London. The worst was Lambeth, where over 3500 people in every 100,000 were diagnosed with an STI in 2022. Southwark, Hackney, Westminster and Islington respectively were in positions two-to-five. Once the capital of the country, now the capital of getting infected from a one night stand. What a fall from grace.

The study also looked into where certain STIs are most prevalent, and discovered that Lambeth has the highest rate of gonorrhoea and chlamydia, whereas you’re more likely to get herpes in Southwark. It’s not all bad though, as the rates of diagnosis for HIV fell by a fifth in the city. 

For some, the high rates in the capital are not a surprise. Dr Claire Dewsnap, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV explained that government cuts have left sexual health services at a crisis point, and that a lack of national investment has left those who seek to use the services facing ‘severe challenges in their ability to access expert, timely care’. 

It’s clear that better sex education and easier access to sexual health clinics is necessary, but until then – Londoners, wrap it up and get tested, will you?

Did you see that Regent Street could be getting a grand European-style makeover?

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