SEXUALLY transmitted infections are on the rise in Herefordshire, new data has revealed.

According to research by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, STI diagnoses in the county jumped from 287 per 100,000 people in 2020 to 322 per 100,000 in 2022, with the 2023 numbers having not yet been released.

The rates in Herefordshire are significantly lower than the national averages, however, with diagnoses rising from 551 per 100,000 to 694 across England as a whole.

Despite the short-term rise, the data shows that there has been a long-term decrease in diagnoses in the county, with the numbers at 625 people per 100,000 back in 2012.

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Even so, the recent increase has caused concern among groups such as the Local Government Association, which is calling on the Government to provide extra funding so local sexual health clinics such as the one in Hereford’s St Owen Street can meet the rising demand.

Councillor David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “These statistics show that local sexual health services are grappling with unprecedented increases in demand.

“The Government needs to ensure sexual health funding is increased to levels which matches these stark increases.

“Councils have been working hard to encourage more people to access sexual health services and get tested more regularly to help improve detection rates and catch infections early.

“Investment in sexual health services helps to prevent longer-term illness and unwanted pregnancies, reducing pressure on our NHS and improving the health of people across our communities.”