Manchester named one of the ‘chlamydia capitals’ of the UK

New research has revealed the top 10 areas of England that have the most chlamydia diagnoses than any other, and Manchester is named among them.

The health experts at NowPatient have looked at sexually transmitted infections (STI) data across the UK to reveal the areas and regions where these infections are most prevalent, both overall and by individual STIs. 

The STIs included in the study are chlamydia, gonorrhoea, genital warts & herpes, syphilis, trichomoniasis, mycoplasma genitalium and HIV.

Unfortunately, Manchester has made the top 10 list of chlamydia capitals, and it’s pretty high up there too as it ranked 4th.

But, it’s probably no surprise as our city has the highest population on the list as well as a bustling nightlife – it’s probably a recipe for disaster, in that respect. 

According to the research, Manchester sees 771.12 new diagnoses per 100,000 people.

Liverpool landed above Manchester and fell into second place, seeing 4,191 STI diagnoses in 2023.

Leading the table is Lincoln in the East Midlands which has seen 1608.52 new diagnoses per 100,000 people. Nottingham and Ashfield, also in the Midlands, made the top six on the list.

Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the UK. It often goes unnoticed as it doesn’t always display any symptoms in the person infected. The next most common STI is gonorrhoea.

Navin Khosla, a pharmacist at NowPatient has listed the signs and symptoms of chlamydia and advises what you should do if you think you have the STI: “Chlamydia is transmitted through unprotected sex and is particularly common in sexually active teenagers and young adults. 

“And it is recommended that those age groups should take a test once a year, and or when they have sex with new or casual partners. 

“Most people with chlamydia do not notice any symptoms and therefore do not know they have it.”

He says these are symptoms to keep an eye out for:

• Pain when urinating.
• Unusual discharge from the vagina, penis or bottom.
• In women, stomach pains, bleeding after sex and bleeding between periods.
• In men, pain and swelling in the testicles.

“If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, or think you are at risk of having an STI, contact your GP for an appointment, or visit a community contraceptive service or local genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic to get tested,” Mr Khosla, added.

The top ten list of chlamydia capitals in the UK, according to NowPatient, are as follows:

Lincoln

Liverpool

Nottingham

Manchester

Portsmouth

Ashfield

Exeter

Southampton

Canterbury

Kingston upon Hull