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

Doubt we'll be bragging about this one somehow.

Harry Quick - 10th January 2024

New data has been collected revealing the top ten areas of the UK that have more chlamydia diagnoses than any other.

And unfortunately, Manchester is up there.

With the highest population out of anyone on the list, a buzzing nightlife scene, and our unquestionable Manc charm, you might expect us to make the top 10… and you’d be right, as Manchester has ranked in 4th place as one of the most infected areas, with 771 new diagnoses per 100,000 people.

That’s not far from 1% of our 550,000 Mancunians diagnosed recently.

To put that in perspective, that’s 18 people of a sold-out Albert Hall, 168 of the crowd at the AO Arena and 427 fans on a matchday at the Etihad Stadium.

Leading the way for most recorded cases is Lincoln, with approximately 2% of its just over 100,000 population diagnosed, and it seems the East Midlands proved to be a bit of a hub for the STI, as nearby Nottingham and Ashfield both placed within the top six.

Manchester has been named one of the ‘chlamydia capitals’ of the UK / Credit: PickPik

The North West is never far from the top of a table in anything, and in this case, it’s Liverpool flying the chlamydia flag for the region, finishing in second place, as the port city just down the ship canal saw 4,191 STI diagnoses in 2023 – which is far higher than first-place Lincoln, but its much larger population resulted in a lower overall rate.

London is obviously in a league of their own, as the capital’s numbers are so impressive (or unimpressive, shall we say) that even their individual boroughs are far exceeding major cities, with Lambeth, Southwark, and Hackney not only being the highest in London, but also the UK, with all reporting over 3% of residents to have been infected.

Chlamydia is by far the most common STI in England, accounting for just over half of all infections, and this is more than double that of the next most common STI – which is gonorrhoea (if you wanted to know).

Chlamydia is by far the most common STI in England / Credit: shawnanggg (via Unsplash) | PickPik

Navin Khosla, who is a pharmacist at NowPatient – the company that has released these shocking new stats, has commented on the signs and symptoms of chlamydia and 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, however, there 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.”

We are always looking out for you at The Manc, so take our advice, and if we’re back in the top 10 for 2024, you can know what to keep an eye on and stay protected.

Featured Image – Pxhere