Cases of sexually transmitted infections including gonorrhea and syphilis have soared to their highest levels in over a decade across Europe, health chiefs have said.
Gonorrhea cases saw a striking 303 per cent rise between 2015 and 2024, and syphilis cases more than doubled in the same period, new data shows.
The surge comes amid changing sexual habits and “widening gaps” in testing, according to a new report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Health bosses also highlighted a “distressing” rise in cases of congenital syphilis, where infections pass directly to newborns which can lead to “potentially lifelong complications”. The report shows congenital syphilis cases have nearly doubled between 2023 and 2024.
“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.”
Data released by the agency for 2024 shows that 106,331 gonorrhoea cases were recorded across the continent. Syphilis cases more than doubled over the same period to 45,577 cases. Chlamydia remained the most frequently reported STI with 213,443 cases.
The ECDC said lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV), a rare strain of chlamydia bacteria mostly affecting men, also saw “ongoing transmission”, with 3,490 reported cases.
Men who have sex with men are the most disproportionately affected group with the sharpest long-term increases in gonorrhea and syphilis, it said, but added syphilis is rising among heterosexual people.
An increase in syphilis cases among women of reproductive age has resulted in a near doubling of congenital syphilis cases – from 78 in 2023 to 140 in 2024 – across the 14 countries reporting data, the agency said.
According to the ECDC, 13 out of 29 reporting countries still charge out-of-pocket costs for basic STI tests.
It called for “decisive action” from national healthcare bodies to increase access to testing and offer faster treatment, warning a failure to do so will “increase negative health consequences”.
“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.”
