A sexual health expert has warned that the UK will see a huge rise in cases of gonorrhoea once the current lockdown ends.
British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) President Dr John McSorley called for people to use the lockdown productively to go and get themselves tested to help prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
He also raised concerns that the UK will see the return of high rates of STI’s as people’s behaviour returns to normal at the end of the coronavirus pandemic – reports MyLondon.
Dr John McSorley said: “There are a lot of similarities between Covid and STIs. The notions of social distancing and isolating have been in sexual health for a long time.
“We are on our way back to where we were a year ago. As we open society up again we can expect more gonorrhoea and syphilis.”
Prior to the lockdown Britain was facing its worst rates of STIs since the Second World War.
And although the first lockdown last year saw a huge drop in the number of people using sexual health clinics, rates are beginning to climb again.
There was a 85% reduction in people going to sexual health clinics across the country when the first lockdown broke out since people were afraid to go outside.
However, since the initial lockdown the number of people using clinics has begun to dramatically rise again.
Dr McSorley added: “People are rebounding back to living a normal life as they can and that includes a safe and entertaining sex life.
“About 80 to 90% of people have seen their sexual activity reduced in the last year.”
