City of Westminster residents may need a refresher on sexual health (Picture: Getty Images)
Last year,the UK became the first country in the world to roll out a vaccine for gonorrhoea.
In trials,the breakthrough jab was shown to cut the risk of infection by more than 50%,and its introduction was hailed as a major milestone in sexual health.
Given diagnoses have more than doubled in the past decade and reached record highs in 2023,it was severely needed — but there are a few regions where it’ll prove especially vital.
To highlight where the vaccine could have the biggest impact,Condoms.UK analysed NHS data to uncover England’s top gonorrhoea hotspots,with one London borough taking the unwelcome crown.
In the City of Westminster,749 diagnoses of gonorrhoea – otherwise known as ‘the clap’ or ‘drip’ – were recorded per 100,000 people throughout 2024.
With a population of 211,500,that translates to 1,586 Westminster locals overall. However,it’s also home to one of the country’s largest STI clinics,56 Dean Street in Soho,so non-residents who head to the city centre location for testing may be skewing the figures somewhat.
Next on the list is Islington,with 724 cases per 100,000 people,while Archway is third but has a far lower prevalence at 397 cases for every 100,000.
Outside the capital,Liverpool has the highest rate of any regional city,followed by Nottingham and Manchester. All three are university hubs with large student populations and busy nightlife scenes,which may contribute to increased transmission rates.
Major cities like Newcastle and Leeds also feature in the top 10,but seaside resort Blackpool also makes the list,proving that smaller towns are not immune to the spread of infection.
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This article was first published on August 27,2025.
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