The UK Health Protection Agency (UKHSA) is warning about a slight but significant increase in cases of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea.

Most cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can be treated quickly, but concern is growing about types that cannot be easily treated.

Between June 2022 and May 2024, scientists working at the UKHSA identified 15 cases in England that were resistant to the antibiotic ceftriaxone, the first option drug used to treat the condition in the UK.

In comparison, only nine cases were detected before 2022.

If left untreated, gonorrhea can cause major health problems, including pelvic problems and infertility.

All the cases detected so far were transmitted by heterosexual people. Most of these were in their 20s and acquired the infection from abroad.

But some of UKHSA’s top epidemiologists say that although the numbers are small, a massive response is needed.

Dr Hamish Mohammed is one of them and he told BBC Newsbeat: “One case is too many.”

“Antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea is a worldwide public health concern,” he says.

He says it is important to limit any transmission in the UK so that gonorrhoea remains a treatable infection.

But he also said the UK has a unique and effective way of obtaining “comprehensive data to look at trends in STIs”.

UKHSA is working to process samples from across the country, monitor different strains and anything else that individual clinics cannot fully diagnose.

It also means that cases can be identified quickly, so that sexual partners can be traced and tested, preventing further spread.

They have more data than ever before. In 2023, more than 85,000 cases of gonorrhoea were recorded in England, the highest number since records began.

That’s the work of people like Zilan Ersoy, 24, one of the biomedical scientists working at the high-security UKHSA laboratory in north London.

She said describing what she does can sometimes make others feel uncomfortable, but “it’s important that we talk openly about this with our friends so they are aware and know how to get tested.”

The lab usually receives samples in the form of swabs, which are then processed or grown in a petri dish.

“It might be a bit smelly, but it’s really cool to see how the bacteria grow.”

She says she always wanted to work in this field because microbiology had always fascinated her.

Zilan says it’s important that people also know how to protect themselves.

“I think it’s so important to have conversations about sexual health.”

They recommend that you use condoms, especially when having sex with a new partner, and Get regular checkups,

• Gonorrhea is easily spread from one person to another through unprotected sex
• About 1 in 10 infected men and about half of infected women experience no symptoms
• This infection can spread from a pregnant woman to her baby and without treatment can cause permanent blindness in the newborn
• It is not spread through non-sexual contact, such as hugging
• It does not spread through surfaces and materials such as toilet seats, towels, cups or plates
• Even if you’ve previously been successfully treated for gonorrhoea, you can still get the disease again

Source: NHS

More information and advice on this topic is available This NHS webpage,

Zilan’s above advice for good sexual health applies not only to protection against gonorrhea, but also to protection against all sexually transmitted infections.

The UKHSA has also released the latest figures on syphilis rates, which show cases are still rising.

If left untreated, the disease can cause serious and potentially life-threatening damage to the brain, heart, and nerves. This new data represents a 9.4% increase year-on-year (from 8,693 cases detected in 2022 to 9,513 detected in 2023).

Although the highest rates are still among gay and bisexual men, the largest proportional increases are among heterosexual people.

The UKHSA says it wants more doctors to consider the disease and be aware of its symptoms.

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