BBC
New data indicates that sexually transmitted infections (STIs), specifically gonorrhoea and syphilis, have reached unprecedented levels in Europe as of 2024.
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), these infections have surpassed their highest recorded instances in over a decade. Gonorrhoea cases in 2024 totaled 106,331, marking a staggering 303% increase since 2015. Concurrently, syphilis cases more than doubled during the same timeframe, rising to 45,557.
The ECDC has attributed this alarming rise, in part, to "widening gaps in testing and prevention," urging the need for immediate intervention. Bruno Ciancio, head of the ECDC's Directly Transmitted and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases unit, emphasized the severe complications associated with these infections. "These infections can lead to chronic pain and infertility, and in the case of syphilis, can result in issues related to the heart or nervous system," he stated.
Furthermore, cases of congenital syphilis, where the infection is transmitted directly to newborns and can result in lifelong complications, have nearly doubled from 2023 to 2024.
Ciancio provided crucial guidance on maintaining sexual health, noting, "Protecting your sexual health remains straightforward. Use condoms with new or multiple partners, and get tested if you have symptoms."
Among the European countries participating in the research, Spain reported the highest number of confirmed cases in 2024, with 37,169 gonorrhoea cases and 11,556 syphilis cases. While chlamydia remains the most frequently reported bacterial infection overall, its incidence has decreased by 6% since 2015, totaling 213,443 cases.
The United Kingdom has not been included in this research since Brexit; however, it publishes its own statistics for England annually. A report from the UK Health Security Agency released in December revealed that England recorded 71,802 gonorrhoea cases and 9,535 syphilis cases in 2024, along with 168,889 chlamydia diagnoses during the same year.
After witnessing a record high of 85,000 gonorrhoea cases in 2023, the UK initiated a gonorrhoea vaccination program in 2025.
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