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).

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 and has been relatively low overall compared to England suggesting a more targeted approach to STI testing in Hull. However, STI testing rates rates have increased in Hull over the last four years, although an increase was expected following the low testing and diagnosis rates during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
• Overall during 2025, there were a total of 1,782 new STI diagnoses among Hull residents giving a rate of 647 per 100,000 population which is higher than both England (570 per 100,000 population) and the region (455 per 100,000 population).
• Prior to the pandemic, the number of new STIs diagnosed (per 100,000 population) had been higher than England and the region, and rates fell sharply in 2020 due to the pandemic particularly for Hull. Whilst the diagnosed rates increased in Hull for 2021 and 2022, the rates for 2023 and 2024 have been more comparable to England with the rate for 2025 higher in Hull.
• In Hull during 2025, 434 (24%) of these new STIs detected were chlamydia cases among those aged 15-24 years. Excluding chlamydia cases diagnosed as part of the NCSP, there were 1,348 new diagnoses of STIs among Hull residents giving a rate of 489 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), during the pandemic (2020) and in the last two years (2023 and 2024). The rate in 2025 is again statistically significantly higher in Hull compared to England (489 versus 441 per 100,000 population).
• The testing rate in Hull per 100,000 population (excluding chlamydia among under 25s) has been statistically significantly lower than England since 2012. However, whilst the rate is still statistically significantly lower in Hull compared to England, the difference in the testing rate in the last three years is much smaller. There were 3,608 tests per 100,000 population for 2025 in Hull compared to 4,012 tests per 100,000 population for England and 2,889 tests per 100,000 population of the region.
• The percentage of tests taken that were positive in Hull was comparable to England for 2023 and 2024, but for all other years since 2016 the test positivity in Hull has been much higher than England. In 2025, 7.6% of all tests were positive in Hull compared to 5.8% for England and 5.5% for the region. This suggests that there may be a more targeted approach to STI testing in Hull compared to other places.
• 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 lowest across the Yorkshire and Humber region for 2025. The rate in Hull has been consistently and statistically significantly lower in Hull compared to England since 2014. There were 11 cases of syphilis diagnosed in 2025 giving a diagnostic rate of 4.0 per 100,000 population compared to 14.1 per 100,000 population for England and 8.7 per 100,000 population for the region.
• In 2025, the number of new cases of gonorrhoea diagnosed in Hull was statistically significantly higher than in England, and the highest in the region by some margin. There were 129 cases per 100,000 population in Hull compared to 109 cases diagnosed per 100,000 population for England and 66 cases diagnosed per 100,000 population across the region (range 25 to 95 per 100,000 population across the other 14 local authorities). The rate in Hull has been statistically significantly lower than England between 2012 and 2023 (with two years comparable to England) and this is the first year since 2012 that the rate in Hull has been higher than 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.
• In 2025, the rate of new cases genital warts diagnosed in Hull was similar to England (39.2 versus 39.7 new cases diagnosed per 100,000 population), but higher than the region (33.9 cases per 100,000 population). There were 108 cases of genital warts diagnosed in Hull in 2025. This represents a decrease from over 400 in 2014, and the trend over time in Hull has been very similar to that of the England and the region.
• The number of new diagnoses for genital herpes was slightly lower in Hull compared to England for 2025 (42.5 versus 49.1 cases diagnosed per 100,000 population) but higher in Hull than the Yorkshire and Humber region (where it was 38.6 cases diagnosed per 100,000 population). There were 117 cases of genital herpes diagnosed in Hull in 2025. Between 2015 and prior the pandemic, the rate had been statistically significantly higher in Hull compared to England, but in the last five years the rate has been comparable to England.
• Among those aged 15-24 years, there were 432 (147 cases recorded among males and 254 cases recorded – numbers do not add up as there is likely cases were sex was not recorded) among females) new cases of chlamydia detected in 2025, and the rate at 1,235 per 100,000 population was higher than both England (1,065 per 100,000 population) and the region (1,076 per 100,000 population). The rates were higher in Hull compared to England for both males and females for 2025.
• Overall in Hull for 2025, there were 853 new cases of chlamydia detected, and the rate was higher in Hull (310 cases per 100,000 population) compared to England (258 per 100,000 population). Among those aged 25+ years, the rate was statistically significantly higher in Hull (222 cases per 100,000 population) compared to England (182 per 100,000 population).
• The proportion of among young women aged 15-24 years who were screened for chlamydia in 2025 was 11.8% compared to 16.0% for England and 15.3% for the region, and is statistically significantly lower than England.
• In 2024, there were 6,294 HIV tests undertaken in Hull equating to 2,315 tests per 100,000 population. Whilst this was much lower than England (2,843 per 100,000 population) where the rate is skewed by the very high testing rates in London, the testing rate in Hull was considerably higher than the regional average (1,682 per 100,00 population). In 2024, there were 39 new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnosed in Hull, with the rate of new diagnoses significantly higher than England. The rate of new cases of HIV has historically been lower than England, but the incidence rate in Hull has increased since 2020 and was higher than England for the first time for 2021, 2022 and 2024. The incidence rate had been consistently decreasing in England between 2011 and 2020. 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 2022-24, the rate of late diagnosis of HIV was (non-significantly) higher in Hull compared to England (56% versus 43%).
• The percentage diagnosed at a late stage has been reasonably similar to England but has increased in Hull in the 3-4 years.
• In 2024, 6.9% of people who were HIV negative who were seen and assessed by sexual health services were defined as having a need for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to stop them acquiring HIV. This equated to 411 individuals in total of whom 288 (70%) initiated or continued with PrEP (which was lower than England at 76% but higher than the regional average of 68% and the third highest local authority in the region).
• For 2022-24, a similar percentage of newly diagnosed patients had prompt antiretroviral therapy for HIV in Hull (97.0%) compared to England (97.5%) with a high rate of virological success in Hull (97%) in that their viral load was undetectable meaning that they could not pass the disease to others.
• In 2024, it was estimated that 264 people were living in Hull with diagnosed HIV which was considerably lower than England (1.60 versus 2.40 residents per 100,000 population). The rate in Hull has increased by 62% from 0.99 to 1.60 per 100,000 population between 2011 and 2024 compared to an increase of 22% for England over the same time period (from 1.97 to 2.40 per 100,000 population).
• From 2013 to 2017, rates of STI diagnoses (excluding chlamydia aged under 25) were higher in Hull than England. However rates in Hull were decreasing after 2016, showing a similar pattern to England. After the sharp drop during the COVID-19 pandemic, rates increased sharply in 2021 and 2022, before then decreasing again, following a similar trend to that seen in the years leading up to the pandemic. In 2024 there were 1,211 new cases of STIs diagnosed (excluding cases of chlamydia picked up through the NCSP).
• 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 such as more online testing.

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.

All Sexually Transmitted Infections

The diagnosis rate for all new STIs in Hull is higher than England for 2025 with 647 new STIs diagnosed per 100,000 population compared to 570 for England. The rate in Hull is also considerably higher than the rate across the Yorkshire and Humber region of 455 with Hull having the highest rate in 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 2025, 24% of all new STIs in Hull were cases of chlamydia among under 25s in Hull.

As the way the NCSP is implemented 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 2024 in Hull, the percentage of new cases of STIs diagnosed were cases of chlamydia among under 25s has decreased from 52% in 2012 to 24% in 2025. The percentage has not decreased consistently over that time though with the percentage decreasing to a low of just over 30% prior to the pandemic before decreasing to 26% for 2020 and then increasing to 38% in 2022 before reducing again more recently.

In Hull, the rate of new STIs excluding chlamydia diagnoses among under 25s in 2025 was 489 new STI diagnoses per 100,000 population which was higher than England at 441 new STI diagnoses per 100,000 population. The rate in Hull was also highest in the region and was the only area with a statistically significantly higher rate compared to England. The rate in Hull was substantially higher than Kirklees which had the second highest rate in the region at 394 new STI diagnoses per 100,000 population.

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. The rate increased to a rate similar to pre-pandemic levels but has decreased to just over 600 new diagnoses per 100,000 population in the last three years to 2025.

The pattern of change has been broadly similar in Hull compared to England and the region, but there have been slight differences with the rate in Hull much higher between 2013 and 2016 and the rate of increase following the pandemic much greater in Hull. However, immediately prior to the pandemic and in the 2023 and 2024, the rate in Hull has been broadly similar to England, although the rate has decreased in the last year for England and across the region compared to an increase for Hull.

During 2025, there were 1,782 new STIs 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, in 2021, 2022 and 2025.

Compared to England, the rate was statistically significantly lower in Hull for 2023 and 2024, but is statistically significantly higher for 2025.

In 2023 and 2024, 29% of all new STIs were new chlamydia diagnoses among those aged under 25 years, but for 2025, this fell to 24%. So this has contributed to this increase.

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 1,348 new STI cases detected represents a decrease compared with this, although an increase from last year as there were 1,210 new STIs detected in 2024.

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, i.e. it does not include testing within the National Chlamydia Screening Programme). 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.

In 2025, there were 3,608 tests per 100,000 population undertaken which is lower than England (at 4,012 tests per 100,000 population) but considerably higher than the region (at 2,889 tests per 100,000 population).

The test positivity is 7.6% in Hull for 2025 which is the highest across the region and also higher than England where test positivity is 5.8%. This does suggest that there might be a more targeted approach in Hull with the right people being tested for STIs as a higher percentage of them are positive.

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 with the exception of 2013, 2014 and the last three years.

The decrease in the testing rate was much greater in Hull between 2019 and 2021 with the COVID-19 pandemic, but there has been a very sharp increase between 2021 and 2023 with a slight increase in Hull in the last two years.

The increase across England and the region has been reasonably linear between 2012 and 2025 ignoring the pandemic, but the same is not true across Hull with a much greater increase since the low of the pandemic.

Prior to the pandemic, there were around 2,000 tests undertaken per 100,000 population but this halved to 1,123 tests undertaken per 100,000 population for 2021. The number has trebled to 3,608 tests undertaken per 100,000 population for 2025.

Around 6,000 tests were undertaken prior to the pandemic, but there were 9,936 tests undertaken in 2025.

Test positivity doubled in Hull from around 5% in 2012 to around 10% between 2019 and 2022. There was some variability between 2019 and 2022, but the rate was high despite the influences of the pandemic. This does suggest that there was a continuation of the more targeted approach in Hull during the pandemic. The test positivity has decreased to 7.6% for 2025. However, as the number of tests undertaken in since 2021 has trebled from 1,123 to 3608 tests per 100,000 population, it is not surprising that the test positivity has decreased as so many more tests have been undertaken so represents a less targeted approach.

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, and the lowest rate across all 15 local authorities in the Yorkshire and Humber region for 2025.

However, the rate in Hull has been quite variable due to small numbers with 11 new diagnoses of syphilis in 2025. The diagnosis rate for syphilis in Hull has been consistently lower than the rate for England form 2014 onwards.

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 2025, the number of new cases of gonorrhoea diagnosed per 100,000 population in Hull was higher than in England, and almost twice as high as the Yorkshire and Humber region average. There were 129 cases per 100,000 population in Hull compared to 109 cases diagnosed per 100,000 population for England and 66 cases diagnosed per 100,000 population across the region.

Hull is the only local authority in the region that has a statistically significantly higher rate compared to England.

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 COVID-19 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. The rates have increased subsequently to a level that is higher than pre-pandemic levels.

The pattern in the change in the rate in Hull has been very similar to that of England and the region between 2014 and 2022 with Hull being consistently lower than both England and the region. Since 2022, the rate across the Yorkshire and Humber region has decreased, and in England there was increase in 2023 and also a decrease subsequently. This is in contrast to the rate in Hull which remained relatively unchanged between 2022 and 2024 with a large increase in the last year for 2025.

The rate in 2025 is five times higher than it was in 2012 for Hull whereas the rate in 2025 for England and the region is just over twice what it was in 2012.

There were 68 new cases of gonorrhoea diagnosed in 2012, but this was 356 in 2025.

Genital Warts

In 2025, the rate of new cases genital warts diagnosed in Hull was similar to England (39.2 versus 39.7 new cases diagnosed per 100,000 population) and higher than the region (33.9 cases per 100,000 population). The number of new cases of genital warts diagnosed per 100,000 population in Hull was the second highest across the region in 2025, after Leeds (44.1 cases per 100,000 population).

In contrast to syphilis and gonorrhoea, the diagnosis rate for genital warts in Hull had been consistently higher than the rate for England from 2013 to 2018 inclusive, and again between 2022 and 2024.

The pattern of change in Hull between 2012 and 2025 has been very similar to the pattern of change for England and across the region with a relatively sharp decrease since the high in 2014.

There were 201 new diagnoses of genital warts in 2012 which appears to be an outlier for Hull given subsequent comparisons with England. It is not known if this is due to a lack of new cases in that particular year or a problem with recording new diagnoses. In 2013, there were 394 new cases of genital warts diagnosed and a high of 437 new cases in 2014. This has decreased to 108 new cases of genital warts diagnosed in 2025.

Genital Herpes

The number of new diagnoses for genital herpes was lower in Hull compared to England for 2025 (42.5 versus 49.1 cases diagnosed per 100,000 population) but higher in Hull compared to the Yorkshire and Humber region (where there were 38.6 cases diagnosed per 100,000 population).

The diagnosis rate for genital herpes has been consistently high in Hull compared to England between 2015 and 2023 inclusive, and statistically significantly so between 2015 and 2020. The genital herpes diagnosis rate fell in Hull in 2020 and 2021 which could be due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there were only small subsequent increases in 2022 and 2023, and the rate in Hull has subsequently decreased to a new low (excluding 2012 which appears to be an outlier as it was for genital warts).

The pattern of change is broadly similar to that of England and the region, although the rate in Hull was much higher between 2015 and 2019, and the rate of new diagnoses has been reasonably comparable to England and the region since 2021.

In 2013, there were 169 new cases of genital herpes but this has decreased to 117 for 2025 in Hull.

Chlamydia

For 2025, the number of chlamydia diagnoses among 15-24s per 100,000 population aged 15-24 years was higher in Hull compared to both England and the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Between 2012 and 2016, the chlamydia detection rate among 15-24s in Hull was consistently higher than England. Since then, on the whole except during the pandemic (2020-21 and the year after), the detection rate in Hull has been reasonable similar to England and the region. The number of new cases of chlamydia diagnosed over time among 15-24 year olds has more halved in Hull between 2012 and 2025, although this is also the case for England and the region.

There were 432 new cases of chlamydia detected among men and women aged 15-24 years during 2025 which is the lowest number it has been since 2012 with the exception of 2020 which was very low due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

There was a reasonably similar trend over time among both men and women.

In 2024, the proportion of young women aged 15-24 years screened for chlamydia was significantly lower in Hull compared with England, as well as lower then the Yorkshire and Humber regional average. At 11.8%, the proportion of young women screened for chlamydia in Hull was the lowest amongst the 15 upper tier local authorities in the region. Fingertips no longer presents this data for persons.

Currently, Fingertips only has trends on the proportion of young people aged 15-24 years screened for chlamydia from 2021 onwards, that is after the COVID-19 pandemic, and only presents these trends for females. The proportion of young women aged 15-24 years screened for chlamydia has almost halved between 2021 when 20.1% were tested to 11.8% in 2025.

The decreases between 2021 and 2025 were greater in Hull (-41%) compared to England (-25%) and the region (-36%).

However, the percentage of chlamydia tests that are sent out and come back positive for chlamydia is much higher in Hull. In fact, in 2022 the percentage for Hull (at 16.2%) was 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 previously available 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.

The information is no longer available for persons after 2022 as the information on Fingertips has changed, although it is available for females. The percentage of chlamydia tests that were sent out to young women and came back positive for chlamydia continued to remain high for Hull. In 2024, 14.6% of chlamydia tests sent out to young women in Hull came back positive for chlamydia, higher than for any other upper tier local authority in England (excluding Scilly Isles due to small numbers).

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
2023 (women only)	2,418	347	14.4	9.6
2024 (women only)	2,173	318	14.6	8.8
2025 (women only)	1,972	254	12.9	8.4

In 2025 in Hull, the diagnostic rate for chlamydia was 20% higher than England and 31% higher than the Yorkshire and Humber region for all ages, and 22% higher than England and 53% higher than the region for people over 25 years. The diagnostic rates in Hull were among the highest in the region for all ages and were the highest for 25+ years.

In Hull, the number of chlamydia cases diagnosed was between 1,400 and 1,500 cases per year between 2012 and 2016, but fell to around 1,100 in 2017 and further decreased the next two years. The number halved to 562 cases diagnosed in 2020 likely associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The numbers increased to pre-pandemic levels for 2021, and increased to 1,415 cases for 2022. However, there was a substantial decrease to 943 cases in 2023, and this has decreased further to 853 cases in 2025. Except for the low during the pandemic, the number of cases detected is the lowest it has been since 2012. However, a similar pattern occurred for England and the region, albeit, Hull had a higher rate prior to the pandemic and a larger change during and after the pandemic, but the rate for England and the region are also the lowest they have been since 2012.

In Hull, a similar pattern occurred among those aged 25+ years as it did for all ages with the rate being generally higher in Hull prior to the pandemic, and then a decrease in 2020 followed by a sharp increase in 2021 and 2022. However, in contrast to the trend pattern for all ages, the rate increased between 2024 and 2025 for those aged 25+ years and the rate is comparable to what it was for the period 2012 to 2016.

Between 2012 and 2018, over seven in ten cases (range 70% to 77% over the years) of chlamydia were among those aged 15-24 years, but this fell to around 60% for subsequent years (range 55% to 66% for 2019 to 2024), and fell further to 51% for 2025. However, this could simply reflect the way the NCSP is run in Hull rather than a change to the age profile of those with chlamydia.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)

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

Testing For HIV

The HIV testing covering percentage is presented. It represents the total number of HIV tests taken per year, across all sexual health services which report into Genitourinary Medicine Clinic Activity Database (GUMCAD). This includes publicly funded sexual health services providing specialist level 3 and non-specialist level 2 sexually transmitted infection related care (including online services). If individuals attending the same clinic have more than one HIV test during a six-week period, only one test is counted. So this indicator does count the total number of tests rather than the number of people tested. The figures are given as the number of tests in year per 100,000 population.

For 2024, the testing rate in Hull is considerably higher than the Yorkshire and Humber region average, but significantly lower than England. The testing rate in Hull is the third highest across the region. A high testing rate is considered to be good, so all local authorities in the region have a rate that is statistically significantly lower (i.e. worse) than England. The rate in England tends to be skewed by the particularly high testing rates in London which range between 3,000 and 15,500 per 100,00 population across the 33 upper tier local authorities in the London region.

The number of HIV tests undertaken per 100,000 population ranged from 1,263 to 1,763 per 100,000 population between 2015 and 2019, before falling to 1,139 for 2020 and 846 for 2021 which is likely to be associated with the pandemic. However, since the low of 2021, the testing rate has increased to a new high of 2,315 tests per 100,000 population for 2024.

There were 6,294 HIV tests undertaken among Hull residents during 2024.

New Cases of HIV

The new HIV diagnosis (incidence) rate per 100,000 population in Hull was statistically significantly higher than for England in 2024 so (14.2 versus 9.0 new cases of HIV diagnosed per 100,000 population).

The new HIV diagnosis rate had been consistently lower in Hull compared to England until 2020, with the rate quite variable in Hull, although the rate has been increasing in Hull since a low of 3.1per 100,000 population in 2016. The rate nationally had shown a consistent decrease until 2020.

In 2021, the rate in Hull was higher than England for the first time since 2011 (6.0 in Hull versus 5.7 in England per 100,000 population), and was also higher than England for 2022 (7.4 in Hull versus 7.3 in England per 100,000 population). In 2023, the rate of new diagnoses of HIV was lower than England (9.6 in Hull versus 10.7 in England per 100,000 population), but in 2024 the rate in Hull rose substantially, and was significantly higher than England (14.2 in Hull versus 8.3 in England per 100,000 population).

As there are a relatively small number of new cases of HIV diagnosed each year, there will be year-on-year variability and the confidence intervals are relatively wide for Hull (95% confidence interval 10.1 to 19.4 per 100,000 population in 2023).

There were 39 new cases of HIV diagnosed in Hull during 2024.

Prevalence of HIV

The estimated prevalence of HIV is one third lower in Hull compared to England, and it is estimated that there were around 1.6 people in Hull diagnosed with HIV per 1,000 population aged 15-59 years in 2024.

As the incidence of HIV has historically been much lower in Hull compared to England, the estimated prevalence of HIV is considerably lower than England. However, the incidence in Hull has been increasing gradually over time compared to a decrease for England (until 2020). This has resulted in the prevalence increasing at a slightly faster rate in Hull compared to England.

The prevalence of HIV has increased in Hull from 1.0 per 1,000 population aged 15-59 years in 2011 to 1.6 per 1,000 population aged 15-59 years in 2024 with the overall numbers living with HIV increasing from 159 people in 2011 to 264 people in 2024.

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a drug taken by HIV-negative individuals before they have sex to stop them acquiring HIV. As part of a combination approach to HIV prevention, the roll out of routine PrEP commissioning began in England in the autumn of 2020. Specialist sexual health services are responsible for the delivery of PrEP to those at higher risk of acquiring HIV.

The percentage of people having PrEP out of the number of people who were HIV negative accessing specialist SHSs who were defined as having PrEP need is collected. PrEP need includes people who were at substantial HIV risk and could benefit from receiving PrEP. This assessment of risk is based on a combination of clinical codes reported through Genitourinary Medicine Clinic Activity Database (GUMCAD) within the previous 12 months of each consultation including PrEP eligibility codes, and other clinical or behavioural markers known to indicate higher risk of HIV seroconversion in the year following an attendance. PrEP need is defined separately for HIV negative gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, and other population groups. This indicator does not relate to better or worse performance as it will vary between services depending on local clinical practice and population demography.

In Hull, 6.9% of the people who were HIV negative who were assessed were defined as having a need for PrEP compared to 10.6% for England for 2024.

The percentage has been increasing in Hull as it has in England, which is often the case after an indicator has been introduced and systems are put in place for assessments to occur.

For 2024, there were 411 residents determined to have PrEP need in Hull.

The percentage of people who started or continued PrEP at any time in the last 12 months (based on reporting PrEP uptake is accepted or obtained at another source, PeEP regimen and quality of pills prescribed) out of those with PrEP need is recorded.

The percentage of people who started or continued PrEP in Hull for 2024 is lower than England (70% versus 76%) but higher than the region (68%). The percentage in Hull is only just below the regional average, but the percentage in Hull is third highest after Leeds and East Riding of Yorkshire. Leeds is an outlier that has increased the average (due to a higher total population and a much higher uptake at 84%). The remaining local authorities in the region range from 54% to 70%.

The percentage has increased in Hull from 62% in 2021 to 70% in 2024 which is a similar increase to increases observed for England and the region over the same time period.

In 2024, 288 individuals initiated or continued PrEP in Hull and there was an estimated 123 individuals who were recorded as having PrEP need but did not start or continue with PrEP.

Late Diagnosis of HIV

Early diagnosis of HIV is very important as late diagnosis is the most important predictor of morbidity and mortality, with a 10-fold risk of death among those who were diagnosed late compared to those diagnosed at an early stage of HIV.

Late diagnosis is defined as those with a CD4 count less than 350 cells per cubic millimetres. The people included in the measure need to have had their CD count available within 91 days of their diagnosis, be aged 15+ years and resident in England. It also includes all reports of HIV diagnoses made in the UK regardless of country of the first HIV positive test (i.e. including people who were previously diagnosed with HIV abroad).

The percentage diagnosed with HIV at a late state during the three year period 2022-24 was higher in Hull to England (56% versus 45%), although the difference was not statistically significant. Across all Yorkshire and Humber upper tier local authorities, only East Riding of Yorkshire, Barnsley and Wakefield had higher percentages of late-stage HIV diagnoses in 2022-24.

For the three year period 2022-24, there were 27 individuals in Hull diagnosed with HIV who had their CD4 count available within 91 days of their diagnosis, and 15 (56%) of them were diagnosed at a late stage of HIV.

However, due to the small number of new diagnoses of HIV each year, the percentage diagnosed at a late stage can be quite variable. The percentage diagnosed at a late stage in Hull has generally been reasonably comparable to England, and has only increased in the last two years.

The information on late diagnosis is also available for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM), heterosexual men and heterosexual women, although due to small numbers the percentages are not given for all local authorities for all three groups.

Interpretation of the differences and trends becomes difficult when the numbers are so small (see Small Numbers for more information).

The percentage of late diagnoses of HIV among MSM has been increasing in Hull, although it is difficult to interpret the data fully as the numbers of new cases will be small. To maintain confidentiality in relation to the numbers of men involved, the numbers of men diagnosed late and the 95% confidence intervals are not given.

The numbers of heterosexual men who were diagnosed with HIV (and had a CD4 count available within 91 days of diagnosis) during the three year period 2022-24 is also very small with only six men diagnosed during the three year period, of whom two were diagnosed late.

As the numbers are so small, it becomes very difficult to interpret the data fully, although it does appear that fewer heterosexual men in Hull diagnosed with HIV are diagnosed late compared to England.

Numbers are also small for heterosexual women have been diagnosed with HIV (and had a CD4 count available within 91 days of diagnosis) with four of the seven women diagnosed with HIV diagnosed late (57%) in 2022-24.

Treatment Success Among People with HIV

Fingertips also presents information on the percentage of patients diagnosed with HIV who start antiretroviral therapy (ART) within 91 days of their diagnosis as well as the percentage who have an undetectable viral load (<200 copies per millilitre).

The indicator measures the prompt treatment which reduces the risk of onward HIV infection among partners. Successful ART decreases a person’s viral load and HIV transmission does not occur when the viral load is undetectable, and the percentage of people who are virally suppressed (also known as an undetectable viral load) has implications in the potential for onward transmission of HIV.

For 2022-24, there was prompt initiation of ART in Hull among 91% of people newly diagnosed with HIV, which is (non-significantly) higher than England (81%). The success rate in relation to HIV viral load in Hull for 2024 was comparable to England (97.0% versus 97.5%).

Information on the trends over time for prompt ART initiation shows the percentage of people newly diagnosed with HIV receiving prompt initiation of ART consistently higher than England (although not significantly higher). ART was given promptly (within 91 days) to 69 of the 76 people in Hull newly diagnosed with HIV during the period 2022-24.

The viral load was successfully reduced to an undetectable level for 296 people with HIV during 2024 (out 305 people with HIV where information on viral load was available).

Strategic Need and Service Provision

People need to be aware that symptoms are not always present, and that if they think they might have been exposed or have an STI should be encouraged to seek medical help.

Locally, there are programmes in place to educate and change behaviour, not just to treat sexually transmitted infections, but to empower and allow people to make positive, informed, proactive choices about contraception. There are also specific services available for high risk groups such as sex workers and men who have sex with men (MSM).

Hull Clinical Commissioning Group (and its successor Hull’s Health & Care Partnership) and Hull City Council offer an integrated community-based range of free to access services. Over the last decade Hull has significantly changed the way it delivers sexual health services, with an increasing emphasis on prevention and health promotion to challenge perceived social norms and deliver behaviour change. Services are available throughout the area and in easy to access community settings.

Whilst it might be considered to be positive that the number of STIs has fallen, it is also possible that there has been little change to the prevalence and that the detection rate is lower and as a consequence fewer people with STIs are being treated. It is often not known which is the case. However, for chlamydia screening among young people aged 15-24 years, it is evident that the number of tests and the percentage screened has decreased significantly over time, but as the percentage of tests sent out that are positive for chlamydia is the highest in the county, this denotes a much more targeted approach in Hull compared to perhaps other geographical areas across the country. There has been a greater focus on prevention locally which could also be having an impact.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, whilst the number of STIs detected as well as access to other services such as contraception (see Sexual and Reproductive Health under Health Factors under Adults) reduced, it is difficult to ascertain whether this was due to a reduced detection rate or because the prevalence of STIs decreased or the need for the service decreased. There was clear and significant disruption to Sexual Health and Reproductive Services as the normal face-to-face service could not operate particularly at the start of the first lockdown in March 2020 when people and services were learning and working out the best way to deal with the pandemic and its lockdowns. This clearly was not unique to Hull, but it is likely that different services adapted slightly differently throughout the country. The local Sexual Health and Reproductive Health Service was disrupted initially, but quickly introduced telephone triage and virtual appointments with a postal service for testing kits. This adaptation could have made access to the service more problematic for young people who were living at home during lockdown as it might have been more difficult to have privacy for telephone calls or virtual appointments during lockdown, more problematic receiving testing kits through the post, and no access to a walk-in service for testing. However, it is also likely that the need for Sexual Health Services were reduced as people were not socialising and going out as much.

It is possible that the knock-on effects of this disruption might be felt for some time, even after services were ‘back to normal’ or almost ‘back to normal’. However, some of forced changes to the service have had benefits and some of the changes were retained after the service could ‘return to normal’, and therefore the service model currently operating will differ from the service in 2019. People’s behaviours and the way in which they accessed the service could have also changed, which may be still having an impact on the number of tests undertaken and test positivity. There has been a greater uptake of online testing since the pandemic.

In recent years, it does appear that there is a more targeted approach to STI testing and specifically for chlamydia in Hull compared to some other local authorities.

Resources

NHS. Sexually transmitted infections: https://www.nhs.uk/

The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/

HIV/STI Data Exchange (restricted access)

Updates

This page was last updated / checked on 2 October 2026.

This page is due to be updated / checked in May 2027.