WARRINGTON has seen a sharp reduction in the transmission of sexually transmitted infections as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, new figures show.

Experts say fewer people having sex during lockdowns and disruption to health services contributed to a steep drop in STI diagnoses nationwide last year.

Public Health England data shows 833 STIs were diagnosed in Warrington in 2020 – 25 per cent fewer than the year before.

It meant 398 in every 100,000 people in the area were infected with potentially life-changing diseases including syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia.

This was down from 2019, when 529 in 100,000 people in Warrington were diagnosed with an STI.

The most common infection in the area was chlamydia with 528 cases found in 2020.

A further 121 gonorrhoea cases were diagnosed, as well as 13 of syphilis, 38 of genital herpes and 88 of genital warts.

The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV warned that the latest figures could represent ‘the tip of the iceberg’.

President, Dr John McSorley, said: “While a drop in the number of new infections appears positive, it is important to remember that England entered the Covid pandemic with the highest rates of some STIs since the Second World War.

“This data therefore likely represents the tip of the iceberg. STIs have not gone away, and chains of infections have not been broken.”

He urged people to come forward for testing, saying sexually transmitted infections could have life-changing consequences.

Dr Katy Sinka, from Public Health England, added: “No one wants to swap social distancing for an STI, and as we enjoy the fact that national Covid-19 restrictions have lifted, it is important that we continue to look after our sexual health and wellbeing.

“If you are having sex with new or casual partners, use a condom and get tested.

“STIs can pose serious consequences to your own health and that of your current or future sexual partners.”

The national drop reflects a combination of reduced STI testing as a result of pandemic-influenced disruption to sexual health services and changes in sexual behaviour since March 2020, according to a PHE report.

It said testing and diagnoses decreased across all infections during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, but sexual health services continued to diagnose hundreds of thousands of infections after scaling up telephone and internet consultations during lockdown periods.

Face-to-face appointments for urgent or complex cases also continued in that time.