North West revealed to be one of the gonorrhoea capitals of the UK

New research by NowPatient has revealed that the North West is one of the most infected regions in the country for chlamydia.

The North West comes second only to London for rates of the STI. London is the region with the highest rate of gonorrhoea diagnoses with 383.42 new diagnoses per 100,000, with the North West following closely behind with a rate of 132.57 diagnoses. The East has the lowest rate with 66.52 per 100,000 with the region’s hotspot, Cambridge, recording a rate of 253.41.  Commenting on the signs and symptoms of gonorrhoea and what you should do if you think you have the STI, Navin Khosla, a pharmacist at Now Patient, said: "Gonorrhoea is transmitted through unprotected, oral or anal sex and when sharing vibrators or other sex toys that have not been washed or covered with a new condom each time they’re used. 

"Gonorrhoea is the second most common STI in the UK, and anyone sexually active can catch the disease. Particularly those who change partners frequently and do not use a condom when having sex.

"Around 1 in 10 infected men and almost half of infected women do not know they have it."

READ MORE: North West revealed to be one of the chlamydia capitals of the UK

Symptoms to keep an eye out for include:

Thick green or yellow discharge from the vagina or penis.

Pain when urinating.

In women, bleeding between periods.

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.