STI rates shoot up in Europe due in part to riskier sexual behavior, European CDC says

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Sexually transmitted infections surged across Europe in 2022, with reported cases of gonorrhea jumping by nearly a half, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said as it released its most recent data on Thursday.

Syphilis cases rose by 34% from the previous year, to more than 35,000, and chlamydia cases by 16% to more than 216,000. Gonorrhea cases jumped by 48% to more than 70,000.

“The numbers paint a stark picture, one that needs our immediate attention and action,” said ECDC director Andrea Ammon in a press conference on the data.

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Untreated STIs can lead to a range of health problems including chronic pain, infertility and, for syphilis, neurological and cardiovascular complications.

Cases of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) and congenital syphilis, when the infection is transmitted from mother to fetus, also increased sharply, the ECDC said, although from lower levels.

Two people kiss next to a bonfire on the Poniente beach in Gijon, Spain, on June 24, 2017. ECDC data shows a surge in STIs in Europe, due in part to both better testing and riskier sexual behavior. (REUTERS / Eloy Alonso/File Photo)

Rates of STIs have been rising for years in many countries, including in Europe, although this was stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic as most governments imposed social isolation measures, people stayed home and reporting rates fell.

A number of reasons were behind the sustained rise, the ECDC said, including better surveillance and a rise in home-testing as well as an increase in riskier sexual behavior.

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A leap in infections among young heterosexual people in the latest data, and particularly young women, could be due to a change in sexual behavior post-pandemic, the EU agency said.

It said there was no evidence yet that the rise in gonorrhea infections was due to antimicrobial resistance, but said it would continue to monitor this. Ammon said the numbers were likely the “tip of the iceberg” as many infections go undetected.

European countries need to focus on testing, treating and prevention efforts, she said, and individuals need to take steps to protect themselves, particularly by using condoms, for example.