More people are catching gonorrhea in England and Wales than ever before, official figures have revealed. There were 70,936 cases of the sexually transmitted infection last year, the highest number since records began in 1918. It marks a 26% increase
from 2018 and 71% jump from levels seen in 2015, according to Public Health England. Health bosses said the spike is largely being driven by gay and bisexual men, but diagnoses have also risen among women and straight males. Experts have
blamed increasing infections on budget cuts to sexual health clinics across the country, as well as online dating apps. Apps such as Tinder, Grindr and Bumble make it relatively easy for people to meet new sexual partners, meet them quickly and move onto
someone else. This could increase the risk of catching STIs by allowing a quick turnover of partners and make people less likely to contact past partners if they're diagnosed. Clinics dealing with restricted budgets are rather short sightedly
restricting their opening hours and, therefore, the number of patients they see. This leaves some unable to get tested or treated when they need it, leaving them at risk of infecting others while they wait for an appointment with a doctor.
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