Britain’s most STI-ridden space revealed by NHS and everybody’s making the identical joke
One area of the UK, famed for several reasons, is now being singled out for another reason – the sexual health of the residents, with it measuring up to be a hotspot for three types of infection
New shocking data from the NHS revealed that one famous London borough is the home to the most cases of syphilis, gonorrhoea and genital warts per 100,000 people.
Westminster, home to the Houses of Parliament, (err) Big Ben and other famous London attractions, also seems to be a hotspot for these sexually transmitted infections. New data commissioned by Condoms UK also found Islington has been ranked as the nation’s overall STI capital, but everyone’s minds are on Nelson’s Column, as several amused online commenters couldn’t help but make a connection between Westminster and their sexual health.
Westminster has been at the centre of UK government for over 900 years – something many commenters could not escape. One sarcastic user wrote: “Dearie me is that the are of Westminster home to the UK government getting found out for bring a den of iniquity? Never have guessed!”
Another sneakily added: “I thought verbal diarrhoea was their biggest problem.” A third comedian quipped: “No Big (Ben) surprise.”
The same data showed the Liverpool appeared to be the chlamydia capital of the UK. Having analysed diagnosis rates from England’s 50 most populated towns and cities, the data shows that for every 100,000 people in Liverpool, 2,719 people have been diagnosed with chlamydia.
That’s one in every 36 residents, and 73% higher than the national average of 1,564 cases per 100,000 people.
Islington leads the overall rankings with a risk score of 94, driven by the highest genital herpes rate in England (131 cases per 100,000 people), while the MP-filled City of Westminster follows closely behind, recording the highest rates of syphilis at 125 per 100,000 people, gonorrhoea at 749 per 100,000, and genital warts reaching 135 per 100,000 in England.
The experts at Condom UK claim that the issues stem from three causes – decreased sexual health funding, misconceptions about transmission and something they’ve called “condom fatigue”.
A spokesman said: “This is where individuals in casual or long-term non-exclusive relationships gradually reduce condom use.
“In fact, a survey by the UK’s National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (NATSAL) revealed that one in three people aged 18-35 admitted to not using condoms with new partners, despite knowing the risks.”
The full list of the worst areas for STIs is:
- Islington
- Archway
- Blackpool
- Westminster
- Manchester
- Nottingham
- Liverpool (highest Chlamydia rate)
- Croydon
- Leeds
- Newcastle
The safest areas are:
- Dudley
- Northampton
- Bradford
- Swindon
- Birkenhead
- Sutton
- Ipswich
- Sunderland
- Milton Keynes
- Birmingham
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