Europe sees ´troubling´ surge of sexually transmitted infections

Europe has seen a worrying spike in sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said on Thursday, reported Xinhua.

The ECDC said that this development, detailed in its latest Annual Epidemiological Reports, is "troubling."

In 2022, the number of gonorrhea cases was up 48 percent from the previous year, syphilis cases by 34 percent and chlamydia cases by 16 percent.

Across 28 countries in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA), nearly 71,000 cases of gonorrhea were reported, a notification rate of 17.9 cases per 100,000 people, the highest rate since European surveillance of sexually transmitted infections began in 2009.

The number of syphilis cases increased to nearly 35,400 in 2022, corresponding to a notification rate of 8.5 cases per 100,000 people across 29 reporting EU/EEA countries, the ECDC said in its report.

Around 216,500 cases of chlamydia, or a notification rate of 88 per 100,000 people, were reported in 29 EU/EEA countries, the ECDC said.

The highest number of cases of gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia was reported in individuals younger than 35 years old. Additionally, men, in general, tend to have higher reported rates of gonorrhea and syphilis compared to women.

The report also said that men who have sex with men (MSM) are more likely to be diagnosed with STIs, as MSM account for 74 percent of syphilis cases and 60 percent of gonorrhea cases reported in 2022.

Also, the number of chlamydia cases in MSM increased by 72 percent between 2018 and 2022, the ECDC said.

ECDC Director Andrea Ammon said she is deeply concerned over the surging rates of STIs, calling for a long-term strategy based on testing, treatment, and prevention.

"Promoting consistent condom use and fostering open dialogue about sexually transmitted infections can help reduce transmission rates," Ammon said.