Sexually transmitted infections are surging across Europe, with a striking increase in cases of syphilis and gonorrhea, according to the latest figures published Monday by Europe’s disease agency.
There were nearly 100,000 confirmed cases of gonorrhea in Europe in 2023, a 31 percent increase compared to 2022 and an increase of more than 300 percent compared to 2014, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported. It was the highest recorded rate in Europe since the ECDC started its surveillance of STIs in 2009.
The agency also warned about the increasing threat of antimicrobial resistance in gonorrhea, with the emergence of drug-resistant strains that are making current treatments less effective.
Syphilis cases also continued to rise: There were 40,000 confirmed cases in Europe in 2023, a 13 percent increase compared to 2022, and a 100 percent increase compared to 2014.
While chlamydia remains the most frequently reported bacterial STI in Europe, the ECDC noted that there was a “slowdown” of chlamydia cases in 2023. That year there were more than 230,000 cases reported across Europe, an increase of only 3 percent from 2022 and of 13 percent from 2014.
The new data confirms the increasing trend already seen in 2022, when with gonorrhea and syphilis cases had gone up by 48 percent and by 34 percent, respectively, compared to the previous year.
More testing for STIs likely explains some of the increase, the ECDC said. But changes in sexual risky behaviors, such as less condom use, could also play a role in the trend.
WHO Europe last year rang the alarm over a decline in condom use among teenagers in Europe, which increases the risk of sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies.
The ECDC said these findings highlight “the urgent need for increased public awareness, prevention, testing, and treatment efforts to address this growing public health concern.”
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