STIs and university students

Reviewed by Emma Ostridge

University towns and cities can be a hotbed for STIs with many young adults exploring the world sexually for the first time. 

According to our new survey, almost half of former students (46%) think that students make up the largest proportion of people in the UK with STIs. 

The survey of 500 UK university graduates also found that:

• The average graduate had 12 sexual partners during their time at university.
• Only 36% took an STI test during their time at university.
• 76% believe that student culture encourages riskier sexual behaviour.
• 60% don’t think that universities do enough to promote regular sexual health testing.
• 86% think that STI tests should be available in all student halls.

In this article sexual health nurse, Emma Ostridge, explains to new and returning students how to enjoy themselves while also prioritising their sexual health:

“With hundreds of thousands returning to their universities or leaving home for the first time, September and October can be incredibly busy times for students socially: starting new classes, making new friends, attending freshers events, and inevitably having sex. 

“While this period in life can be a really fun and exciting time to explore yourself, it’s important to practice safe sex with new or casual partners. STI rates can be especially high among young people in student areas, making it even more important for students to prioritise their sexual health.” - Emma Ostridge, Sexual Health Nurse

The student cities with the highest STI rates

We analysed the most recent official STI data for the most popular student areas in the UK and found the following…

(Department of Health & Social Care)
*excluding chlamydia aged 24 and under per 100,000

According to the data, London, Manchester, and Liverpool see the highest new diagnoses of STIs per capita, with diagnoses of syphilis and gonorrhoea following similar trends. 

Advice to students

Practicing safe sex

If you’re looking to have sex, the best way you can protect yourself from STIs and unplanned pregnancy is by making sure you use a condom. Condoms are a very effective way to prevent STIs, acting as a barrier between you and your partner. 

Sometimes it can feel awkward to ask a partner whether they have a condom and you might feel tempted to skip using one if one isn’t available.

Women should remember that, while being on the pill can help prevent unexpected pregnancy, it will not protect you against STIs. 

Many universities or student unions offer services to provide free condoms. You can also get free condoms from your local sexual health clinic.

Getting tested

Regular testing is also incredibly important if you’re having sex with multiple new partners. We recommend that everyone takes an STI test annually or after you’ve had new sexual partners, with a maximum frequency of a test every three months. 

We recommend taking a test every three months if you’re in a high risk group for STIs, including PrEP users, those who have had multiple or anonymous partners since their last STI test, people who have used drugs during sex, and people who have been diagnosed with a bacterial STI in the past year. 

If it’s time for a regular sexual health check up or if you’ve recently had new sexual partners, you can access sexual health testing at your local sexual health clinic or you can order an STI test online. 

If you’re worried that you may have been exposed to HIV in the past 72 hours, do not wait for a postal test or an appointment. Contact your local sexual health clinic or A&E and ask for a post exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

Vaccinations

All students, both male and female, should make sure they’ve had the HPV vaccine. Most people get the HPV vaccine as children aged 12 or 13, but if you missed it for whatever reason, it’s incredibly important that you look into getting it now. 

The HPV vaccine can help protect you against developing genital warts, as well as cervical, mouth, anal, penile, vulval, and vaginal cancers. You can get your HPV vaccine by contacting your GP surgery any time before your 25th birthday. 

The UK government has now also begun its rollout of brand new gonorrhoea vaccines across sexual health clinics. The vaccine is currently available to those in a high infection risk category, which includes gay and bisexual men who have recently had another STI or who have had multiple sexual partners in the past three months, and is also available to other people in high-risk groups, such as sex workers. 

It’s important to note that the gonorrhoea vaccine only offers around 30% to 40% protection against the STI. We would encourage people to still practice safe sex by using a condom, even if you have had the vaccine.

Methodology

The graduate STI survey consisted of 500 UK respondents with a bachelor's or postgraduate degree [September 2025]. 

References

https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/sexualhealth/data#page/1
https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-57
https://www.bashh.org/resources/40/guidance_on_sti_testing_2021_and_2023
https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/hpv-vaccine/
https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/08/vaccines-for-students-how-to-get-up-to-date/
https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/menb-vaccine-for-gonorrhoea/