ENGLAND — Nearly 29,000 people were diagnosed with genital herpes in England in 2025, a 3% increase from the previous year, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). This rise occurred even as overall sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnoses in England fell by 8%, dropping from approximately 364,000 in 2024 to 334,000 in 2025.
Diagnoses of other common STIs—including chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis—also declined between 2024 and 2025. Chlamydia remained the most frequently diagnosed STI in 2025, accounting for almost half of all cases, followed by gonorrhoea and genital herpes.
The 2025 figure for genital herpes marks a continued rebound from pandemic-era levels. New cases declined during the height of the Covid pandemic due to reduced testing but have been rising since then. In 2019, before the pandemic, nearly 35,000 new cases of genital herpes were diagnosed in England.
Genital herpes is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal, or oral sex, even when no visible symptoms are present. The infection can also spread if a cold sore comes into contact with the genitals, or by transferring the virus from someone else’s fingers to the genital area. Sharing sex toys with an infected person is another potential route of transmission. However, the infection cannot be contracted from towels, swimming pools, saunas, or toilet seats, as these do not involve direct skin-to-skin contact.
Dr. Hamish Mohammed, a consultant epidemiologist at the UKHSA, emphasized the importance of testing. "These infections can cause serious harm," he said. "If you have had sex with a new or casual partner without a condom, it's important to get tested – even if you don't have symptoms."
Condom use can help prevent the spread of many STIs, including genital herpes. The risk of transmission can also be reduced by avoiding sexual contact when either partner has blisters, sores, or sensations like tingling or itching that may signal an impending outbreak. STI testing in England is free, confidential, and available through local sexual health clinics, university and college medical centres, or via self-sampling kits sent discreetly by post.