Gonorrhoea and syphilis hit record levels in Europe
Summary
Sexually transmitted infections gonorrhoea and syphilis have reached their highest levels in over 10 years in Europe in 2024. The European health agency says the rise is partly due to gaps in testing and prevention and urges people to use condoms and get tested if needed.Key Facts
- Gonorrhoea cases in Europe reached 106,331 in 2024, a 303% increase since 2015.
- Syphilis cases more than doubled to 45,557 in the same period.
- Spain reported the highest number of gonorrhoea (37,169) and syphilis (11,556) cases among European countries in 2024.
- Congenital syphilis, where the infection passes from mother to newborn, nearly doubled from 2023 to 2024.
- Chlamydia remains the most common bacterial STI but cases fell 6% since 2015 to 213,443.
- The UK reported 71,802 gonorrhoea and 9,535 syphilis cases in England for 2024.
- The UK started using a gonorrhoea vaccine in 2025 after record infection rates in 2023.
- The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says untreated syphilis can cause heart and nervous system problems, and both infections can lead to chronic pain and infertility.
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