STI that can have no symptoms reaches historic high with 71,000 UK cases

A sexually transmitted disease which can sometimes have minimal symptoms has reached a record high.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has issued a statement confirming that two health conditions reached the highest levels in 2024.

But one of the conditions, while it can have very bad symptoms for some patients, can also sometimes not have any symptoms at all in others.

This can make it difficult to spot, and only reinforces the importance of making sure that you are getting tested regularly if you are sexually active with multiple new partners.

Bruno Ciancio is the head of the ECDC's Directly Transmitted and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases unit, and warned that although some patients may not experience symptoms, others may have some very serious symptoms indeed.

Doctors have warned about a rise in cases (Rawlstock/Getty)

A condition which risen dramatically is gonorrhoea, which in the ECDC's entire area hit 106,331 confirmed cases, representing a whopping 303 percent rise since 2015.

Meanwhile, syphilis had 45,557 cases in the same area, meaning that it has more than doubled over the same period.

Speaking to the BBC, Ciancio warned: "These infections can cause severe complications, such as chronic pain and infertility and, in the case of syphilis, problems with the heart or nervous system."

Ciancio added that that there had also been an increase in congenital cases of syphilis, where the condition is passed on to a newborn baby and which can cause 'potentially lifelong complications'.

This had almost doubled between 2023 and 2024.

"Protecting your sexual health remains straightforward," he said. "Use condoms with new or multiple partners, and get tested if you have symptoms."

The UK saw a high number of gonorrhoea cases, with 71,802 confirmed in England in 2024 according to a report from the UK Health Security Agency.

The NHS advises using barrier methods to prevent the condition from spreading (Sino Images Studio/Getty)

In 2023 there were some 85,000 cases of gonorrhoea in the UK, and a vaccine for the condition has since been rolled out.

While gonorrhoea can sometimes have no symptoms, it can also cause inflammation and discharge from the genitals.

Patients might also experience a burning pain when they urinate, as well as pain the lower abdomen and sore testicles.

Symptoms can also appear in parts of the body which have been in contact with infected semen or vaginal fluid, and can include itching, pain, and discharge from the anus, sore throat, as well as pain, discharge, and redness in the eyes.

The NHS advises that barrier methods such as condoms and dental dams are effective in preventing the spread of the infection.

If infected it can be treated with a course of antibiotics, and the NHS also advises people to get vaccinated if offered.