THE MOST common sexually transmitted infections in the South East have been revealed.

With 20,281 cases in the South East region alone, chlamydia was the most reported STI in 2020.

This was followed by gonorrhoea with 4,749 cases and anogenital warts with 4,260 cases.

Overall, the South East reported the second highest number of STIs across England.

A total of 32,972 STIs were reported in the region – only London had a higher number with 87,690. The North West was third with 29,212 cases.

Leading Clinical Sexologist Ness Cooper said when it comes to where people live, lots of factors can have an impact on how likely you are to contract an STI.

She said: “For example, was your school progressive or conservative when it came to openness around sex?

"Were local clinics available for you to regularly test yourself? How insightful was your sex education, and did your school or college offer out free condoms?

“Places where there are laws preventing expression of sexuality, and cultural expectations can also be a big factor in access to STI prevention and treatment.”

Chlamydia was the most common STI in all age groups. However, the 20-24 age range was the most common age to contract the disease.

Figures for gonorrhoea were also high, however cases were highest in the 25-34 age range.

Ms Cooper also discussed how often we should get tested for STIs.

“This depends on the lifestyle of the individual, as testing will be less necessary for people in committed, monogamous relationships. Every three-to-six months is a good time frame to aim for, if you are not having regular sex with the same person,” she said

“It can also be worth remembering that, after new sexual encounters, some STIs take a while to show up in your system. Chatting with your local sexual health providers can provide more insight into exactly what needs to be done regarding testing.”

She also said that cases of “super-gonorrhoea” are on the rise.

A new antibiotic-resistant strain of the infection, known as Neisseria gonorrhoeae, has been diagnosed in the UK, with cases confirmed in London and the Midlands.

If left untreated, it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women, as well as infertility.

All the data was released following a study by men's health platform Manual.