Gonorrhoea cases in Scotland remain high amid surge among older men
Gonorrhoea cases in Scotland remain at worryingly high levels with a sharp rise among older men prompting urgent action from health officials.
Public Health Scotland (PHS) has revealed that more than 4,500 people were diagnosed with the Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) in 2024.
While overall figures have dipped slightly from the record highs of 5,999 diagnoses in 2023, the number of cases is still well above pre-pandemic levels – and there's been "concerning increases" noted among older men.
Gonorrhoea, once thought to be declining in Scotland, has surged in recent years. According to PHS, the number of recorded infections has more than doubled since 2018.
From 2023 to 2024, diagnoses decreased in men under 30 but incidence remains high and has increased in those 30 years and older.
The disease has become increasingly resistant to antibiotics, making early detection and prevention even more critical. Experts say the findings show how STI's continue to pose a "significant public health threat" and underline the need for targeted interventions.
It comes as the Scottish Government recently announced a new vaccination campaign, which will begin this August, after Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said action was "urgent".
The move follows advice from the UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which backed the use of the MenB (meningococcal B) vaccine to help curb the spread of gonorrhoea.
Dr Sam Ghebrehewet, Head of the Vaccination and Immunisation Division at Public Health Scotland (PHS), said: 'With gonorrhoea diagnoses having increased in recent years, the offer of the MenB vaccine to those at highest risk of exposure is a welcome new intervention. This vaccination programme is expected to help control and prevent the spread of gonorrhoea.
'We are working with the Scottish Government and colleagues across NHS Boards to finalise plans for the roll out of this targeted vaccination offering from August 2025.'
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Gonorrhoea can cause significant pain and discomfort and in rare cases, life-threatening sepsis. The highest rate of positive tests for gonorrhoea in the last five years was consistently observed in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM).
Health chiefs believe thousands of cases of gonorrhoea could be prevented through the new vaccine programme. The S cottish Government has put aside £280,000 of funding for it.
The vaccine – which is already used to protect infants against meningitis – has been shown in trials to cut gonorrhoea cases by over 30%. It will be offered to gay and bisexual men at highest risk of infection, those involved in selling or exchanging sex regardless of gender and those who sexual health clinic professionals assess as being at a similar risk level.
Speaking at the Public Health Scotland Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Conference in Edinburgh, Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said:
'This action is urgent and timely since the number of diagnoses has been high and the disease is becoming increasingly difficult to treat with antibiotics.
'The science tells us that this vaccine will potentially protect thousands of people and prevent the spread of infection."
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Health chiefs have warned that while the vaccine is a vital tool, it's not a silver bullet.
Condoms remain the most effective protection against STIs, and those with new or multiple partners are being urged to continue using them and get tested regularly.
Left untreated, gonorrhoea can lead to serious complications – including infertility and, in rare cases, blood infections.
Visit NHS Inform or contact your local sexual health clinic for advice, testing, or treatment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
31 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
JK Rowling slams ‘hapless' NHS bosses who suspended nurse for complaining about trans doc using female changing rooms
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AUTHOR JK Rowling has slammed "hapless" NHS bosses for suspending a nurse who challenged a trans doctor in the female changing rooms. Sandie Peggie was suspended after she objected to sharing a changing room with Dr Beth Upton - a biological male - at the NHS Fife hospital where they both worked in Scotland. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 JK Rowling has slammed NHS bosses for their 'hapless and unprofessional' behaviour Credit: twitter/jkrowling 4 Sandie was suspended from work in January 2024 Credit: Iain Masterton 4 Dr Upton - a biological male - made an allegation of bullying and harassment Credit: Alamy Sandie was suspended from work at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife, in January last year after Dr Upton made an allegation of bullying and harassment. But she was cleared of allegations of misconduct, failures of patient care and misgendering the doctor in an internal disciplinary hearing. The Harry Potter writer, 59, also took aim at former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, suggesting the "unprofessional" behaviour of NHS Fife was a direct result of her legacy. Writing on social media, Rowling fumed: "This is Nicola Sturgeon's legacy. "... a government that publicly backs the hapless, unprofessional, ideologically captured health board that's persecuting a nurse for asserting her legal right to a single-sex changing room." Ms Peggie's solicitor Margaret Gribbon said that the nurse - who has worked at the health board for 30 years - was "relieved and delighted" after being cleared of the allegations. In a statement, Ms Gribbon said: "On Tuesday 14 July, the evening before the resuming of her tribunal, Sandie Peggie received confirmation from Fife Health Board that following a disciplinary hearing, none of the gross misconduct allegations against her were upheld. "This follows a disciplinary hearing on 25 June, which considered four gross misconduct allegations: two relating to patient care failures, one of 'misgendering' Dr Upton, and one relating to her encounter with Dr Upton in the workplace female-only changing room on Christmas Eve 2023. "Sandie is relieved and delighted that this 18-month-long internal process has concluded and cleared her of all allegations." It comes as an employment tribunal brought by Ms Peggie against the health board is set to resume this week. JK Rowling has been a prominent women's rights campaigner and has often been vocal on what she calls "sex-based rights" for several years. The writer praised BBC newsreader Martine Croxall last month after she refused to say "pregnant people" on air. Gender row nurse cleared of gross misconduct She joked she had a "new favourite BBC presenter" after Martine overruled her autocue which referred to "pregnant people" being at risk during the recent hot weather. Rowling has come under fire for comments made in the past towards trans people. In 2020, the esteemed author slammed the growing trend of replacing "biological sex" with "gender identity". Her stance, that declared "sex is real", led to death threats, but also moulded her into a figurehead for the "gender-critical" movement. Activists accused her of transphobia in 2020 when replying to an article with the headline: "Opinion: Creating a more equal post Covid-19 world for people who menstruate." She tweeted: "'People who menstruate'. I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. "Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?" Her remarks led to criticism from Potter actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, who ignored the fact her books had made them famous to launch a string of attacks. It was Rowling's beloved group For Women Scotland which also launched a long-running legal battle with the Scottish government over how a "woman" was defined in Scottish law. The Scottish government had argued people with gender recognition certificates (GRCs) should be protected from sex-based discrimination, meaning a transwoman would be considered a woman. However, campaign group For Women Scotland claimed this only applied to people born as a female. In April, the Supreme Court's landmark judgement ruled that it was unanimously determined "sex is binary" and that female-only spaces must be protected on the basis of biology.
North Wales Chronicle
3 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Woman who lost both parents to Covid recalls ‘cruel' Downing Street party photos
Rhona Arthur was giving evidence at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry on Wednesday on behalf of Scottish Covid Bereaved. The inquiry, chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett, is in its final week of hearings examining the impact of the pandemic on the care sector. Ms Arthur told the inquiry her father William and mother Violet were both living in the same care home in Scotland when the pandemic began in 2020. She explained her mother had moved into the care home following a long stay in hospital in 2017, and some time later her father had chosen to move into the same home. 'They were devoted to each other,' Ms Arthur said. 'They were a pair of bookends, and one was not very helpful without the other, so he chose to move into the nursing home beside her.' Ms Arthur told the inquiry her father tested positive for Covid-19 on April 30, 2020 after developing a 'slight temperature', and was admitted to hospital the same day. She recalled speaking with him on the phone that afternoon and that he was doing 'quite well', but within hours he began to deteriorate. He died in hospital a few days later on May 3, 2020 aged 90. She told the inquiry she had 'no other option' but to break the news of his death to her mother over the phone, and a member of staff at the care home had sat with her to provide 'emotional support'. Her mother then tested positive for Covid-19 on May 9, and Ms Arthur said as she was going into the crematorium for her father's funeral on May 18, the care home called to say her mother's health was a 'cause for concern'. Two days later, she said, she got another call to say her mother's oxygen levels had 'dropped', and the home had offered an end-of-life visit. Rhona Arthur (Scottish Covid Bereaved) gave evidence to the Inquiry today. You can view it on the live stream (and via playback) through our YouTube channel 📺 now 👇 — UK Covid-19 Inquiry (@covidinquiryuk) July 30, 2025 She said she 'paused' to pass on the news to other family members, but less than half-an-hour later the care home called again to say her mother had died, aged 93. Asked about the impact the double bereavement had had on her and her family, Ms Arthur said: 'For a long time, I described it as being like a house with the roof ripped off, because that's just that kind of idea about how empty and devastating a double loss is. 'It's very difficult to talk to people about. 'People say, 'what happened to you during Covid?' You cannot just say to somebody, 'well, actually, both my parents died within a fortnight.' 'It's a complete and utter and devastating blow in a conversation.' She was also asked about the impact of seeing photos of a Downing Street drinks party held on the day her mother died. 'It just felt so cruel that we had done all the right things, that we had followed all the rules, down to the funerals, to then see that,' Ms Arthur said. 'And of course, that picture is regularly reprinted, which means that it just brings that terrible day back all the time.' The inquiry continues.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Health experts issue new warning over synthetic drugs
Health experts have issued a new warning over synthetic drugs which could explain a sharp rise in suspected drug deaths. An update from Public Health Scotland (PHS) revealed there were 312 suspected drug-related fatalities between March and May, a 15% rise on the previous quarter. The latest Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response report said potent synthetic opioids known a nitazenes were increasingly mixed with other drugs such as heroin. Nitazenes were found to be present in 6% of all deaths and one expert said the figure was probably an "underestimate" because of issues with testing. Nitazene-type opioids are often found in drugs sold as heroin, benzodiazepines and oxycodone and have been in Scotland since report noted an increase in reports of heroin overdoses in recent months, suspected to involve these synthetic opioids. As well as a rise in suspected deaths, there was a 45% increase in the administration of naloxone, which is used as an emergency antidote for opioid overdoses. Attendances at hospital emergency departments also rose by 19%. Toxic combinations Dr Tara Shivaji, consultant in public health medicine at PHS, said: "There are complex reasons for the increase in harms we're seeing. "Scotland has an evolving drug supply, which is often contaminated with toxic substances. "Most of the harm also involves the use of more than one substance. We urge caution to all people who use drugs. There's no way of telling which substances may be contaminated or what the combined effects will be."Scotland continues to have a far higher rate of recorded drugs deaths than other European nations, including other parts of the suspected drug death data is based on police reports and is different to the finalised annual figures published annually by National Records of Scotland (NRS). The most recent NRS figures showed there were 1,172 drug misuse deaths in Scotland in 2023,an increase of 121 compared with 2022 which had seen the first fall in fatalities in several years. A new set of official NRS statistics is due to be published in September.
