Sexually Transmitted Infections

This topic area covers statistics and information relating to sexually transmitted infections in Hull including local strategic need and service provision. Further information relating to Sexual and Reproductive Health is given under Health Factors within Adults.

This page contains information from the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips. Information is taken ‘live’ from the site so uses the latest available data from Fingertips and displays it on this page. As a result, some comments on this page may relate to an earlier period of time until this page is next updated (see review dates at the end of this page).

The Office for National Statistics ‘back-date’ their recent estimates of the resident population once more accurate Census data becomes available. Their revised estimates are due to be released in November 2023. In the meantime, the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities have removed their trend data which relied on resident population estimates from Fingertips (affecting treatment of HIV indicators), and it will be added back in sometime after November 2023 (no date has been given). Some of the statements on our website pages have been retained with the comments relating to the trend data when it was shown on Fingertips even though the trend data is not shown, and the actual values will change (in most cases slightly) once the calculations are redone using the new backdated population estimates.

Headlines

• In many cases, people with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) do not have symptoms. Most STIs are treated effectively if treated early, but if left untreated can cause health problems including infertility and in a small number of cases can cause death. STIs can also have major health implications for newborns if pregnant women have an STI.
• The number of tests undertaken among those attending a clinic for STI testing and the percentage of the population aged 15-24 years screened as part of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) has been decreasing in Hull has had been relatively low overall compared to England suggesting a more targeted approach to STI testing in Hull. However, rates have increased in Hull in the last year or two.
• The number of people in Hull with a new diagnosis of syphilis is very small in Hull and the rate is consistently lower than England. In 2022, there were 10 new diagnoses of syphilis among people living in Hull, and whilst there has been year-on-year variability in the diagnostic rate in Hull between 2012 and 2022, the rate nationally has steadily increased over the same time period.
• The rate of new diagnoses of gonorrhoea in Hull has been consistently lower in Hull compared to both England and the Yorkshire and Humber region. However, there has been a steady increasing trend in the number of new diagnoses in Hull (with the exception of 2020 and 2021 likely due to the pandemic), although the increasing trend in Hull mirrors that observed nationally and regionally. There were 68 new cases of gonorrhoea in 2012 giving a rate of 26 per 100,000 population, but this has increased to 282 new cases for 2022 with a rate of 106 per 100,000 population (146 per 100,000 population for England). Gonorrhoea is often used as a marker for rates of unsafe sexual activity, because not all STIs result in symptoms and the majority of cases of gonorrhoea are diagnosed in sexual health clinics, and consequently the number of gonorrhoea cases may be a measure of access to STI treatment. Therefore it may be of concern if this reflects an increase for unsafe sexual activity although it could also reflect improved access to services and treatment.
• The diagnostic rate of genital warts in Hull has been decreasing in Hull since 2014 and the decreases have followed a similar pattern to decreases observed both nationally and regionally. At its peak in 2014, there were 437 new cases of genital warts diagnosed among Hull residents giving a rate of 170 per 100,000 population but this has decreased to 134 new cases with a rate of 50 per 100,000 population for 2022 which is only slightly above the rate for England (46 per 100,000 population).
• The rate of genital herpes diagnosed in Hull was consistently and statistically significantly higher in Hull compared to England between 2015 and 2020, although there has been an overall decrease in the rate in Hull between 2020 and 2022 compared to an increase for England, and the rate in Hull is currently similar to England (46 versus 44 per 100,000 population). At its peak in 2015, there were 207 new cases of genital herpes diagnosed (80 per 100,000 population), but this had reduced to 122 new diagnoses for 2022.
• Overall during 2022, there were a total of 2,367 new STI diagnoses among Hull residents giving a rate of 888 per 100,000 population. There had been a decrease in the rate between 2019 and 2020 due to the pandemic, but between 2018 and 2020, the rate of new STIs diagnosed was similar to England. However, between 2020 and 2022, the rate of new STIs diagnosed has increased for both England and the Yorkshire and Humber region, but it has increased much more sharply across Hull so that the overall number of new diagnoses is much higher than England for 2022 (694 per 100,ooo population). However, as a national screening programme exists for young people for chlamydia, the way in which the local NCSPs are run across the county impact on the overall rate of new STIs. In Hull during 2022, 909 (38%) of these new STIs detected were chlamydia cases among those aged 15-24 years. Excluding chlamydia cases diagnosed as part of the NCMP, there were 1,458 new diagnoses of STIs among Hull residents giving a rate of 547 per 100,000 population. The rate of new STIs diagnosed excluding chlamydia cases among those aged 15-24 years has generally been statistically significantly higher in Hull compared to England, although was more comparable to England just prior to the pandemic (2018 and 2019) and during and after the pandemic (2020 and 2021). The rate in 2022 is higher in Hull compared to England (496 per 100,000 population).
• The test positivity for chlamydia among those aged 15-24 years for 2022 is the fourth among the 148 upper-tier local authorities in England with 16.2% of all tests returning a positive chlamydia result (903 out of 5,570 tests) compared to 11.1% for England. Between 2017 and 2020, the rate of positive tests was around twice that of England, and it has been around 50% higher than England for the last couple years. This could suggest that a more targeted approach to chlamydia testing within the NCSP has been undertaken in Hull with only higher risk groups asked to take chlamydia tests.
• In 2022 there were 18 new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnosed in Hull, and the rate of new diagnoses was comparable to England. The rate of new cases of HIV was also similar in Hull to England for 2021, but prior to that the rate has been consistently lower in Hull. In 2022, it is estimated that the prevalence of HIV in Hull is 1.4 per 1,000 population aged 15-59 years compared to 2.3 for England and 1.6 for the Yorkshire and Humber region. Due to small numbers, there is year-on-year variability in the percentage of people diagnosed with HIV at a late stage of the disease, but for 2020-22, the rate of late diagnosis of HIV has been higher in Hull compared to England. For 2020-22, a higher percentage of newly diagnosed patients had prompt antiretroviral therapy in Hull (95%) compared to England (85%) with a high rate of virological success in Hull (98%) in that their viral load was undetectable meaning that they could not pass the disease to others.
• A total of 2,367 new STIs were detected during 2022 which included cases of chlamydia detected among young people aged 15-24 years as part of the NCSP. Excluding chlamydia cases picked up in the NCSP, there were 1,458 new STIs detected in 2022 which included 10 cases of syphilis, 282 cases of gonorrhoea, 134 cases of genital warts and 122 cases of genital herpes and 581 cases of chlamydia among those aged 25+ years. There were also 903 cases of chlamydia detected among 15-24s.
• In 2018 and 2019, there were 1,521 and 1,410 new cases of STIs diagnosed excluding cases of chlamydia picked up through the NCSP. However, this fell substantially to 973 in 2020, and remained relatively low in 2021 at 1,130 new STIs diagnosed. The increase to 1,458 in 2022 represents an increase back to pre-pandemic levels. Access to services were significantly disrupted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic across the country, and the decrease in the rate of STIs detected in Hull was not unique with relatively similar decreases both regionally and nationally. Whilst local Sexual and Reproductive Health Services adapted by introducing telephone triage, virtual appointments and a postal service for STI testing kits, it is likely that access to services was reduced or became problematic for some individuals particularly young people living at home. It is also possible that the prevalence of STIs and the need for STI testing was reduced with the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns as people socialised less and were more restricted in where they could go and visit. It is possible that the impact of the pandemic on the incidence and testing undertaken goes beyond the duration of the pandemic due to changes in behaviour and services during 2020 as well as changes that were made to service due to different and improved ways of working.

The Population Affected – Why Is It Important?

Information from the NHS states that many people with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) do not get symptoms, so it’s worth getting tested even if you feel fine. If you think you have an STI, the earlier you’re tested, the sooner treatment can be given if it’s needed. An STI can be passed from one person to another through sexual contact. Many STIs can be cured with antibiotics.

The NHS stated that most common STIs are chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, genital warts, genital herpes, pubic lice, scabies and syphilis. Another STI is human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). There is further information on the NHS website relating these STIs.

The severity and consequences of different STIs vary, but most can be treated relatively easily if treated early. Some of the symptoms of some STIs also can disappear by themselves, but can also result in recurrences in the infection. However, some STIs can cause long-term problems if left untreated, and can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and even death in the case of syphilis and HIV.

Some of the STIs can be passed from mother to baby whilst pregnant, at birth or even through breastfeeding in the case of HIV. Gonorrhoea can cause permanent blindness in a newborn, trichomoniasis in rare cases can cause premature birth and low birth weight for newborns, and genital herpes can also cause problems for newborns. Syphilis can be very serious in pregnant women resulting in miscarriage, stillbirth or a serious infection in the baby (congenital syphilis) as can HIV which can be passed to the newborn.

HIV attacks and weakens the immune symptoms making it less able to fight infections and disease. Emergency anti-HIV medication called post-exposure prophylaxisis (PEP) may stop someone becoming infected if started within 72 hours of possible exposure to the virus. Early diagnosis is important to avoid life-threatening consequences of the disease and avoid passing it to others. Antiretroviral medicines are used to treat HIV which prevent the virus from replicating in the body, allowing the immune system to repair itself and prevent further damage. The goal of HIV treatment is to have an undetectable viral load in that the level of the HIV virus in the body is low enough to be not detected by a test. If the viral load has been undetectable for six months or more, then it means the person cannot pass the virus on through sex. AIDS is the final stage of an HIV infection when the body can no longer fight life-threatening infections. Men who have sex with men, Black African heterosexuals and people who share needles, syringes and other injecting equipment have an increased risk of HIV. It can also be transmitted from mother to baby during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding. There is also pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) available for those high risk groups at risk of HIV from sex or injection drug use. This prescription drug is taken before on a regular basis and is highly affective for preventing HIV.

HIV testing is integral to the treatment and management of HIV. Knowledge of HIV status increases survival rates, improves quality of life and reduces the risk of HIV transmission.

It should be noted that when examining rates of STIs across different populations, it could be assumed that a high rate is bad as it means that the prevalence is high in that population. However, as many STIs are asymptomatic, a high rate of STIs or a high detection rate can also be considered to be good as it assumed that a higher percentage of people with STIs in that population are being detected and therefore treated in that population. This is the case for chlamydia where a high rate is classified as ‘better’ by The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (formerly Public Health England). However, because of this, the rate of STIs detected in different populations should be treated cautiously as it depends on the numerous factors, such as the willingness of the population to come forward to be tested, access to Sexual Health and Reproductive Services (SHRS), the way in which local SHRS are administered and advertised, as well as the overall prevalence in the population.

The Hull Picture

The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips present some information on the number of diagnoses of STIs. The rates are presented as the numbers diagnosed within the time period per 100,000 population unless otherwise stated.

The diagnostic or detection rate is given below for the main STIs and is given as the number of positive tests or cases of the STI out of the total resident population presented as the rate of new cases per 100,000 population.

Syphilis

The number of syphilis diagnoses among people accessing sexual health services per 100,000 residents was considerably lower in Hull compared to England and the Yorkshire and Humber region for 2022. Only two (both in Humber) out of the 14 local authorities with data in the Yorkshire and Humber region have a rate that is lower than Hull.

However, the rate in Hull has been quite variable due to small numbers with 10 new diagnoses of syphilis in 2022. Between 2014 and 2022, the diagnosis rate for syphilis in Hull has been consistently lower than the rate for England.

Gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea is used as a marker for rates of unsafe sexual activity. This is because the majority of cases are diagnosed in sexual health clinics, and consequently the number of cases may be a measure of access to STI treatment. Infections with gonorrhoea are also more likely than chlamydia to result in symptoms. Despite this it is likely that there will be people with gonorrhoea with or without symptoms who do not present at a sexual health clinic.

In 2022, the number of new cases gonorrhoea diagnosed in Hull was lower than both England and the region with 106 cases per 100,000 population in Hull compared to 146 cases diagnosed per 100,000 population for England and 120 cases diagnosed per 100,000 population across the region.

However, the rate had been increasing in Hull between 2014 and 2019 with a fall in 2020 and a further fall in 2021. It is possible that the decrease in 2020 and 2021 is a real decrease because of the pandemic with less social mixing or because Sexual and Reproductive Health Services were disrupted (although there were only brief reductions to services, the way services were delivered changed). There were similar decreases for both England and the region for 2020 and 2021.

However, for Hull, the region and England, there was an increase in the number of gonorrhoea cases diagnosed between 2021 and 2022. Furthermore, the increasing trend between 2014 and 2019 appears to have continued with the rate in 2022 similar to what might have been expected given the pattern of increase between 2014 and 2019.

In Hull, there were around 100 new cases of gonorrhoea diagnosed each year between 2012 and 2016, but this increased to 200 or more (241 in 2019) since then. The number of cases of gonorrhoea diagnosed in Hull in 2022 is the highest number since at least 2012 with 282 new cases of diagnosed during 2022.

Genital Warts

In 2022, the rate of new cases genital warts diagnosed in Hull was slightly higher than England (50.3 versus 46.1 new cases diagnosed per 100,000 population), but higher than the region (36.9 cases per 100,000 population). The number of new cases of genital warts diagnosed per 100,000 population was the highest across the region in Hull for 2022.

In contrast to syphilis and gonorrhoea, the diagnosis rate for genital warts in Hull had been consistently higher than the rate for England since 2014. The rate was 170 per 100,000 population in 2014 with 437 new diagnoses of genital warts in Hull but has fallen significantly over time with a rate of 50 per 100,000 population in 2022 with a total of 134 new diagnoses.

Genital Herpes

The number of new diagnoses for genital herpes was similar in Hull compared to England for 2022 (45.8 versus 44.1 cases diagnosed per 100,000 population), but higher in Hull compared to the Yorkshire and Humber region.

The diagnosis rate for genital herpes has been consistently high in Hull compared to England since 2015, and statistically significantly so between 2015 and 2020. Between 2020 and 2021, the rate fell in Hull with a marginal increase between 2021 and 2022 resulting in a diagnosis rate that was lower in 2022 than for 2020 for Hull. In contrast, between 2020 and 2022, the rate increased across England and the region. So whilst the rate in Hull is higher than both England and the region for 2022, it is only marginally higher and the difference is not statistically significant.

Whilst the rate has decreased significantly since 2019 from 191 individuals diagnosed in 2019 to 122 diagnosed in 2022, it is possible that some of this decrease could be due to disruption to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services and reduced prevalence following reduced social interactions throughout the pandemic. However, unlike gonorrhoea, the diagnosis rate for genital herpes rate has not bounced back to levels seen in 2019.

All Sexually Transmitted Infections

The diagnosis rate for all new STIs in Hull is higher than England for 2022 with 888 new STIs diagnosed per 100,000 population compared to 694 for England. The rate in Hull is also higher than the rate across the Yorkshire and Humber region of 609, with Hull having the highest rate across the region.

A sizable percentage of all new diagnoses of STIs are due to cases of chlamydia among under 25s because of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP). In 2021, 38.4% of all new STIs in Hull were cases of chlamydia among under 25s in Hull.

As the way the NCSP is implemented locally differs across different geographical areas, the incidence of all new STIs can be influenced by the way in which the local NCSP is run. Therefore, it is also useful to examine the rate of new STIs excluding diagnoses of chlamydia among those aged 15-24 years (the target age group for the NCSP). Furthermore, there could be changes to the way the NCSP is implemented locally over time. Between 2012 and 2022 in Hull, between 25% and 52% of new cases of STIs diagnosed were cases of chlamydia among under 25s.

In Hull, the rate of new STIs excluding chlamydia diagnoses among under 25s in 2022 was 547 new STI diagnoses per 100,000 population which was statistically significantly higher than the rate for England of 496. It was also the highest across the Yorkshire and Humber.

The rate of new STIs was relatively constant between 2013 and 2016 with just over 1,000 new diagnoses per 100,000 population (and around 2,700 diagnoses), but the rate decreased in Hull between 2016 and 2019, and decreased more sharply in 2020 likely associated with the pandemic. Whilst the rate increased between 2020 and 2021, the rate in 2021 was still lower than 2019, so the rate in 2021 might have also been affected by the pandemic. However, between 2021 and 2022, the rate has increased considerably, and the rate in 2022 is higher than it was in 2019. Thus the rate in 2022 is not following the decreases observed between 2016 and 2019.

There are differences in trends over time for England and the region compared to Hull, but the pattern of change over time is broadly similar except that the decreases between 2016 and 2019 were greater in Hull and that the increases between 2020 and 2022 have also been greater in Hull. However, as mentioned above, the rate of new STIs diagnosed is influenced by the way the NCSP is administered locally.

During 2022, there were 1,458 new STIs detected in Hull. This represents a decrease from the four year period 2013 to 2016 when there were 2,700 new STIs detected each year, but it represents an increase from 2019 when 2,099 new STIs were detected in Hull.

A more comparable measure in relation to STI diagnoses rates is the new STIs diagnosed excluding new chlamydia diagnoses among those aged under 25 years, as this is not impacted by the considerably different way the NCSP programmes are run across the country. When examining this rate, it can be seen that the rate has been statistically significantly higher in Hull compared to England between 2013 and 2017, but with slight decreases in the rate between 2016 and 2018 in Hull, the rate in Hull was comparable or lower than England for 2018 and 2019. The rate decreased considerably in 2020 due to the pandemic, and increased slightly between 2020 and 2021 with the pattern in Hull following a similar pattern of change as England and the region. However, the increase in the rate of new STIs diagnosed in Hull between 2020 and 2022 has been greater than England resulting in a statistically significantly higher rate in 2022 in Hull.

There were around 1,600 new STIs diagnosed excluding chlamydia diagnoses among under 25s in Hull each year between 2013 and 2017 so the current number of 1,458 new STI cases detected represents an increase, and it is not too much higher then the number detected in 2019 prior to the pandemic when there were 1,410 new STIs. However, as mentioned above, the rate in Hull is again statistically significantly higher than England.

Fingertips also presents the testing rate and the test positivity rate.

The testing rate is the number of people of all ages who are tested for syphilis, HIV and gonorrhoea and the number of people aged 25 to 64 years tested for chlamydia out of the total number of people tested for one or more infections for syphilis, HIV, gonorrhoea and chlamydia at a new attendance (chlamydia tests only included for people aged 25-64 years). Each episode is counted once regardless of the number of tests that were provided, and an individual may appear more than once in the denominator if they attend for more than one episode of infection during the year.

The test positivity rate is the sum of all positive diagnoses of syphilis, HIV and gonorrhoea among all ages and chlamydia diagnoses among those aged 25-64 years out of the number of people tested for syphilis, HIV, gonorrhoea and chlamydia at a new attendance. Each episode is counted once regardless of the number of tests that were provided, and an individual may appear more than once in the denominator if they attend for more than one episode of infection during the year.

For 2022, whilst the numbers tested for STIs is considerably lower than England and most other local authorities in the region, the rate of positive tests is higher. Thus it would appear that there is a more targeted approach to STI testing in Hull.

The rate of STI testing in Hull has been consistently lower than England and more recently consistently lower than the Yorkshire and Humber regional average. However, the pattern of change over time is relatively similar to England and the region except that the rate in Hull decreased between 2020 and 2021 in contrast to an increase for both England and the region. The STI testing rate in Hull is similar in 2022 to what it was in 2019 prior to the pandemic.

In contrast, the test positivity rate in Hull has steadily increased in Hull at a faster rate than increases observed across England and the region. Thus, it is possible that the approach to STI testing in Hull may be slightly different to other geographical areas.

Chlamydia

For 2022, the number of chlamydia diagnoses among 15-24s per 100,000 population aged 15-24 years was much higher in Hull compared to England and across the Yorkshire and Humber, and Hull had the third highest detection rate in the region for this age range.

Between 2012 and 2016, the chlamydia detection rate among 15-24s in Hull was consistently higher than England, and at its highest more than 50% higher than England. However, the rate fell in Hull between 2016 and 2017 by a quarter, and the overall rate in Hull between 2017 and 2019 was similar to the rate in England. However, during the period 2017 to 2022, the percentage of tests sent out that result in a positive result for chlamydia has increased and has been consistently high in relation to other local authorities so it appears that there is a much more targeted approach in Hull during this period (see below).

The detection rate in Hull fell sharply between 2019 and 2020 which is perhaps not surprising as the pandemic could have had an influence on the rate. However, whilst the reduction between 2019 and 2020 in Hull was greater than England and the region, the increase in Hull between 2020 and 2022 has been much greater than both England and the region resulting in Hull having a considerably higher detection rate during 2022 compared to both England and the region.

There was a reasonably similar trend over time among both men and women, but more marked for women.

The percentage of men and women who were screened for chlamydia in Hull during 2021 (that is the number of people aged 15-24 years with a positive or negative chlamydia test result out of the total population aged 15-24 years) was higher in Hull compared to England but the same as for the Yorkshire and Humber region.

In 2022, around one in six people (16.2%) aged 15-24 years in Hull were screened for chlamydia.

The percentage of young people screened for chlamydia has fallen significantly over time between 2013 and 2020 in Hull. During 2012 and 2013, it was estimated that over 35% of people aged 15-24 years were screened for chlamydia, but this fell to 9% in 2019 prior to the pandemic. Whilst the rate further decreased in 2020 likely associated with the pandemic, the rate in Hull increased sharply between 2020 and 2021, and whilst the rate was significantly lower than England for 2021, a further smaller increase in the percentage in Hull between 2021 and 2022 has resulted in the percentage in Hull now being statistically significantly higher than England.

However, the percentage of chlamydia tests that are sent out and come back positive for chlamydia is much higher in Hull. In fact, the percentage for Hull (at 16.2%) is the fourth highest out of the 148 upper-tier local authorities (excluding Isles of Scilly as the numbers are too small) in England for 2022 (range 5.9% to 17.9%).

From the trend tables on The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips for the detection rate and the percentage screened, the number of positive tests and tests completed respectively are given. From this information, it is possible to calculate the percentage of positive tests. However, this should be used as a guide though as there are caveats associated with the data, for example, for both measures, ‘records are re-duplicated in order to prevent over-estimation’ and the table below might not take this into account.

From this information, it appears that the NCSP in Hull has used a much more targeted approach in recent years compared to other local authorities in England.

Year	Hull tests	Hull positive tests	Hull positive tests (%)	England positive tests (%)
2012	14,319	1,068	7.5	7.8
2013	14,768	1,122	7.6	8.2
2014	11,935	1,029	8.6	8.3
2015	8,446	1,108	13.1	8.4
2016	7,463	1,050	14.1	9.1
2017	4,380	771	17.6	9.7
2018	3,663	674	18.4	10.1
2019	3,080	680	22.1	10.0
2020	1,918	346	18.0	9.8
2021	4,847	647	13.3	9.0
2022	5,570	903	16.2	11.1

The diagnostic rate for chlamydia is around 50% higher in Hull compared to England and the Yorkshire and Humber region for both all ages and people aged over 25 years.

As the majority of chlamydia diagnoses are among those aged 15-24 years (55-76% between 2012 and 2022), the trend over time in the chlamydia detection rate among all ages follows a similar pattern to the pattern observed for those aged 15-24 years.

However, the percentage of chlamydia diagnoses that were among those aged 15-24 years has fallen over time in Hull as it was around 75% between 2012 and 2015, but has been around 60% between 2020 to 2022. This could have been changes to the NCSP or it could be that there are more cases among those aged 25+ years.

The number of new cases of chlamydia among those aged 25+ years at 319 per 100,000 population for 2022 is the highest it has been (68% higher than the average rate between 2012 and 2020).

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)

The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips also presents information relating to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Testing For HIV

The HIV testing covering percentage is presented. This is the percentage of ‘eligible attendees’ in whom (a maximum of) one HIV test was accepted among those accessing specialist sexual health services out of the number of ‘eligible attendees’ accessing specialist sexual health services. An ‘eligible attendee’ is defined as a patient attending a specialist sexual health service at least once during the calendar year with patients known to be HIV positive, or for whom a HIV test was not appropriate or for whom the attendance was related to Sexual Health and Reproductive Health care only are excluded.

There was a lower uptake of HIV testing among ‘eligible attendees’ of specialist sexual health services in Hull compared to England for 2021 with four in ten eligible attendees of Hull’s specialist sexual health services agreeing to a HIV test. However, this decreased considerably to 26.9% in 2022.

Over the period 2010 to 2019, the HIV testing uptake rates in Hull have been statistically significantly lower than the rate in England with the rate being higher for only the first year (2009) and 2020.

Between 2009 and 2013, the uptake rates in Hull were quite variable year-on-year, and whilst the uptake rates were below the rates in England for 2009 to 2011 and for the year 2013, the rates were considerably lower in 2012. However, since 2014 when uptake rates were 48% in Hull, the uptake rates have been increasing to just over 60% for 2018 and 2019.

In 2020, whilst the rates in England dropped considerable the Hull rates were above these, remaining around 60% thus it appears services in Hull initially continued to offer this more opportunistic testing for HIV during the pandemic whereas many other services across the country did not. However, for 2021 and 2022, whilst the rates in England have remained at a similar level to those observed in 2019, the rates in Hull have fallen considerably from almost six in ten in 2020 to around four in ten in 2021 to just over one-quarter for 2022.

Testing rates are also given separately for men, women, and men who have sex with men (MSM) as well as repeat HIV testing among MSM who are at the most risk of HIV.

For 2022, the testing rate for HIV for MSM is higher in Hull than England, but for other men and for women, the rates in Hull are considerably lower than England – around half that of England.