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Sexual health services are at ‘breaking point’

Sexual health services are at ‘breaking point’ after 3.3million people visit clinics in one year

The Tinder effect? Sexual health services are at ‘breaking point’ after 3.3million people visit clinics in one year, councils warn

  • Sexual health services in England are ‘stretched to the limit’
  • 3.3million people visited clinics last year, council leaders are warning
  • Fears Tinder and Grindr are fuelling a rise in sexual activity

Sexual health services in England are ‘stretched to the limit’ as a record 3.3million people visited clinics last year, council leaders are warning

Sexual health services in England are ‘stretched to the limit’ as a record 3.3million people visited clinics last year, council leaders are warning.

The rise in demand comes as local authority public health service budgets are being slashed by hundreds of millions of pounds, the Local Government Association (LGA) said.

It comes amid fears that online dating apps such as Tinder and Grindr are fuelling a rise in sexual activity.

Last year, there were 3,323,000 visits to sexual health clinics in England, up 13 per cent from 2,941,000 in 2013. The increased number of visits is equivalent to an extra 210 a day. The total number of screenings for sexually tramsmitted infections (STIs) including chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV, has risen by nearly a fifth during that time, from 1,513,000 in 2013 to 1,778,000.

The LGA is urging the Government to reverse £600million of health cuts to help councils meet demand. Councillor Ian Hudspeth, of the LGA, said: ‘With capacity and resources stretched to the limit, clinics are reporting an increase in the number of lengthy delays and people turned away as appointments are fully booked.’


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Experts say the problem is compounded because people often do not stay in touch with their online dates.

Dr Olwen Williams, of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, said: ‘What we are finding is it’s a little bit more difficult to get partners in because they can often be anonymous people who they met on Tinder and Grindr.’

 

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