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14th May 2026
Sexually Transmitted Infections: Everything you need to know.
A sexually transmitted infection or STI, is an infection which is passed from person to person during unprotected sexual intercourse or sexual contact.
The most common STI in women is Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Other common STI’s affecting men and women include chlamydia, gonorrhoea, genital herpes, syphilis and HIV.
Symptoms:
· unusual vaginal or penile discharge,
· painful or burning urination,
· sores or blisters on genitals or mouth,
· itching or pain in the genital area,
· pain during sex,
· bleeding between periods.
Some STIs are asymptomatic, meaning they cause no symptoms at all, so it's important to get tested if you've had unprotected sex.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sexually-transmitted-infections-stis/
At GP Care Now we offer full comprehensive STI testing comprising of a swab test and a blood test.
Whilst the overall incidence of STI’s fell last year it is still at a very high level with 364,750 new cases diagnosed in 2024.
Cases of Gonorrhoea have also started to level off since 2022 however they also remain high and recently the government has launched a new vaccination against gonorrhoea. The 4CMenB vaccine will help shield those most at risk of gonorrhoea - potentially averting up to 100,000 cases of the disease.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nhs-begins-rollout-of-world-first-gonorrhoea-vaccine-programme
HPV – Human papilloma virus
This is a sexually transmitted infection which causes genital warts. It is also the leading cause of cervical cancer in women.
There is a vaccine for HPV which is given to school age children before they are sexually active. This has significantly reduced the number of cases of cervical cancer however regular cervical screening is still important.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv2x2en4lpro
The NHS has reduced its frequency of cervical screening for 25-49 year olds from every 3 years to every 5 years. This change came about in July 2025 after consultation with the UK National Screening Committee. Whilst it is deemed this is a safe interval between screening, some people worry that 5 years is too long between smear tests.
At GP Care Now we offer private smear tests which can be done more frequently than every 5 years. Please see the website for details.