Local authority leaders have called on the next Government to launch a 10-year sexual health strategy after new figures reveal a rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The Local Government Association (LGA) says the new long-term strategy should focus on funding, workforce challenges and fragmentation of services.
This would be the first long-term sexual health strategy since 2001.
The LGA made the call in response to new figures on sexually transmitted infections published today by the UK Health Security Agency.
In 2023, there were 401,800 diagnoses of new STIs in England, an increase of 4.7% since 2022, according to the data.
There was also a 5% increase in the number of consultations delivered by sexual health services in England in 2023 compared to 2022 – a rise from 4,392,466 to 4,610,410.
Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: ‘Councils want to continue encouraging more people to visit their local sexual health clinic, in particular hard-to-reach communities.
‘However, today’s figures show sexual health services continue to face rising demand pressures.
‘This is why we are calling for a new 10-year strategy to tackle infection rates and ensure that sexual health services are properly funded and resourced in the long-term.’
