Cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including gonorrhoea and syphilis, have climbed to their highest levels in more than a decade across Europe, according to new figures released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The agency disclosed that gonorrhoea infections recorded a sharp 303 per cent increase……
Cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including gonorrhoea and syphilis, have climbed to their highest levels in more than a decade across Europe, according to new figures released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
The agency disclosed that gonorrhoea infections recorded a sharp 303 per cent increase between 2015 and 2024, while syphilis cases more than doubled within the same period.
The report linked the rising infection rates to changing sexual behaviour and “widening gaps” in access to testing and treatment services across European countries.
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It also expressed concern over what they described as a “distressing” increase in congenital syphilis cases, where infected mothers pass the disease to newborns during pregnancy or childbirth.
According to the ECDC, congenital syphilis cases nearly doubled between 2023 and 2024, raising fears over long-term health complications among affected children.
“Sexually transmitted infections have been on the rise for 10 years and reached record high levels in 2024,” Bruno Ciancio, head of the ECDC’s directly transmitted and vaccine-preventable diseases unit, said.
“Untreated, these infections can cause severe complications, such as chronic pain and infertility and, in the case of syphilis, problems with the heart or nervous system,” he added.
The latest data released by the agency showed that 106,331 gonorrhoea cases were recorded across Europe in 2024, while syphilis infections rose to 45,577 cases during the same period.
Chlamydia remained the most commonly reported STI, with 213,443 cases documented.
The report also highlighted continued transmission of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV), a rare strain of chlamydia that mostly affects men, with 3,490 cases recorded.
The ECDC said men who have sex with men remained the most affected group, particularly regarding gonorrhoea and syphilis infections, although syphilis cases were also increasing among heterosexual populations.
The rise in infections among women of reproductive age, the agency noted, contributed to the spike in congenital syphilis cases, which increased from 78 in 2023 to 140 in 2024 across 14 reporting countries.
According to the health agency, 13 out of 29 countries providing data still require patients to pay out-of-pocket for basic STI testing.
The ECDC called for “decisive action” by national health authorities to improve access to prevention, testing and treatment services.
“Reversing increasing trends in STI cases requires accessible prevention services, easier access to testing, faster treatment, and stronger partner notification to stop onward transmission,” experts said.
“ECDC urges public health authorities to urgently update national STI strategies and strengthen surveillance systems to better monitor the impact of prevention efforts. Without decisive action, current trends are likely to continue, increasing negative health consequences and widening inequalities in access to care.”
