Health chiefs have sounded the alarm over a sexually transmitted infection, described in Biblical texts, that could become “untreatable” due to rising antibiotic resistance. Gonorrhoea cases in Bristol and its environs are surging, with a significant 11 per cent rise recorded last year.

The latest statistics unveil a worrisome uptick in gonorrhoea throughout Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire, with 1,051 cases flagged in 2023 – a stark jump from 944 the year before and nearly quintuple the figure reported a decade prior in 2012.

While gonorrhoea typically responds well to treatment, the emergence of certain strains, particularly those resistant to the key antibiotic ceftriaxone, is causing significant concern.

The ancient scourge of gonorrhoea – noted in early religious and historical texts – now poses a heightened threat due to ceftriaxone resistance, rendering infections increasingly tricky to manage.

Since England’s first encounter with ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea in 2015, the nation has grappled with 42 cases, a fraction of which were XDR – meaning also resistant to alternative antibiotics, reports Bristol Live. 

Despite relatively few cases thus far, a discernible increase in both frequency and drug resistance is apparent. In 2025 alone there have been four reported instances, following thirteen throughout the previous year, outstripping the count for the two years preceding.

In particular, the climb in XDR cases is noteworthy; the past fifteen months have seen just under double the number reported in the preceding two-year period up to December 2023.

Dr Katy Sinka, from the UKHSA, starkly warned: “Gonorrhoea is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, which could make it untreatable in future.”

She cautioned that untreated gonorrhoea could lead to severe consequences like pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility.

Sinka strongly advised: “The best way to stop STIs is by using a condom. If you’ve had condomless sex with a new or casual partner, get tested, whatever your age, gender or sexual orientation.”

She also highlighted the risks associated with international encounters: “This includes when you are having sex abroad. Early detection not only protects your health but prevents transmission to others.”

Noting the often invisible nature of these infections, she added: “Many STIs show no symptoms, which is why regular testing is so important. Testing is quick, free and confidential.”

Concerningly, the UKHSA has identified a link between most antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea cases and travel to or from the Asia-Pacific region, where ceftriaxone resistance is more common.

Despite limited transmission within England to date, officials worry about the growing number of cases and their potential for wider spread and treatment difficulties.

An astonishing record was broken in 2023, with a staggering 85,000 reported gonorrhoea cases in England, marking the largest outbreak in over a century and representing a threefold increase from ten years prior.

Bristol surfaced as a particular hotspot in the latest regional breakdown, with 724 recorded gonorrhoea cases in 2023, signalling the highest risk for this ancient affliction in our local areas.

With 151 infections per 100,000 people, the sexual health crisis continues to escalate.

Following closely behind is South Gloucestershire with 73 infections per 100,000 individuals, and North Somerset isn’t far off either, hitting a worrying 51.

Our interactive map provides an in-depth look at the prevalence of gonorrhoea in your area, detailing the surge in cases over the past ten years.

The insidious symptoms of gonorrhoea, or “the clap” as it was once known, range from a yellowish or greenish discharge from the sexual organs, painful urination, to bleeding between periods in women.

Gonorrhoea typically spreads through unprotected sexual contact, including the sharing of sex toys, and it can even be transmitted from mother to child during childbirth.

Alarmingly, many of those inflicted exhibit no signs whatsoever, underscoring the need for regular screenings when engaging with new or multiple partners.

Left unchecked, gonorrhoea wreaks havoc, causing issues like pelvic inflammatory disease and potential infertility in women; scrotal pain, urethral constriction that makes urination excruciating, and male infertility.

What’s more chilling is that if left untreated, this STI can result in irreversible blindness.

This ancient affliction, gonorrhoea, has been around since times biblical, leaving its mark across centuries of human history.