Sexually transmitted infections are rising sharply in Europe

The number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) reached record levels in Europe in 2024, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has said.

In the Netherlands, the number of people with gonorrhoea went from 6,826 in 2020 to 13,952 in 2024. Syphilis cases rose from 1,526 to 2,173 in the same period.

In Europe as a whole, cases of gonorrhoea tripled to 106,331 in 10 years, while the number of recorded syphilis cases almost doubled to 45,557.

The ECDC said people with symptoms are waiting longer to see a doctor and get tested, and many countries have failed to focus on the prevention of STIs. It wants countries to take “urgent action” to bring down the number of cases.

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.

“Most distressingly, between 2023 and 2024, we have seen a near doubling of congenital syphilis, where infections pass directly to newborns, leading to potentially lifelong complications,” the ECDC’s Bruno Ciancio said.