Lambeth revealed as STI hotspot of London

Lambeth has been revealed as the sexual disease hotspot of London, with figures showing more than three in every 100 people in the borough are suffering from an STI.

Online pharmacy NowPatient is urging people to take regular tests after reviewing the latest NHS data showing the number of STI diagnoses in each local authority.

Figures recorded across 2022, show Lambeth to be the local authority with the highest level of new STI diagnoses in London, and in England as a whole, at 3,573 per 100,000 people.

This means that for every 100 people, there are 3.6 infections.

Lambeth also had the highest chlamydia diagnosis rate in Greater London, and the second highest rate in England, at 1,398 per 100,000 people. The South London borough was only topped by Lincoln in the East Midlands, with 1,608 infections diagnosed per 100,000 people. 

Navin Khosla, a pharmacist at NowPatient, said: “Chlamydia is transmitted through unprotected sex and is particularly active in sexually active teenagers and young adults.

“It is highly recommended that those age groups take a test once a year, and 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.”

London is the country’s STI capital, with a new diagnosis rate more than twice that of any other region.

Figures show Southwark to have the second highest rates in London, with 3,030 diagnoses for every 100,000 people. 

Councillors from Lambeth and Southwark have attributed the borough’s high STI rates to population density and demographics.

Councillor Evelyn Akoto, Southwark’s cabinet member for health and well-being, said: “Both Lambeth and Southwark have young, mobile and diverse populations, with local sexual health services which are modern and popular.

“Given our demographics and our joint efforts to identify and prevent onward transmission, we are often among the boroughs with the highest STI testing rate.”

Councillor Jim Dickson, Lambeth’s joint cabinet member for healthier communities, said: “We have a younger than average population in Lambeth, which also contributes to higher rates of STIs – but our high rates also reflect that people are responsible in getting tested regularly to look after their sexual health and wellbeing.”

Despite the widespread access to convenient countermeasures, a spokesman from NowPatient said STIs are still a major health problem.

This comes as sexual health budgets have fallen by 17 per cent over the past decade, with health adviser posts in clinics as well as outreach services working with high-risk groups like sex workers also experiencing funding cuts, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).

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