sexually transmitted infections on the rise in European Union countries

This “Increase is as staggering as it is worrying”. The number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) recorded an increase in 2022 within member countries of the European Union, worries the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in its annual report published Thursday 7 March. In 2022, cases of gonorrhea, for example, jumped by 48%, with 70,881 cases in the EU, those of syphilis increased by 34% (35,391 cases) and those of chlamydia by 16% (216,508 cases). .

“These numbers, while important, likely represent only the tip of the iceberg, as the data” can be underestimated, said Andrea Ammon, director of the ECDC, during a press conference. She explains that this is due to differences in screening practices as well as access to sexual health services within the 27 countries covered by the agency.

The results show that there is “an urgent need to raise awareness of the transmission of STIs and a need to improve prevention, access to screening and effective treatments to address this public health challenge”underlines the ECDC. “We must prioritize sex education, expand access to testing and treatment services, and combat the stigma associated with STIs”, explains Andrea Ammon in the agency’s press release. In addition, the systematic use of condoms during sexual intercourse as well as “open dialogue” on STIs should be encouraged, as they help reduce the transmission of infections.