Gonorrhoea and syphilis hit record levels in Europe, data shows - BBC

ShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleDan SalesGetty ImagesSexually transmitted infections (STIs) including gonorrhoea and syphilis have hit record levels in Europe, according to new data. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said both diseases had reached their highest levels in over 10 years in 2024. Gonorrhoea hit 106,331 cases - a 303% increase since 2015 - while syphilis more than doubled in the same period to 45,557. The health agency said "widening gaps in testing and prevention" were partly behind the surge in transmission, and called for urgent action. "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," said Bruno Ciancio, the head of the agency's Directly Transmitted and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases unit. He said congenital syphilis cases - "where infections pass directly to newborns, leading to potentially lifelong complications" - had nearly doubled from 2023 to 2024. "Protecting your sexual health remains straightforward. Use condoms with new or multiple partners, and get tested if you have symptoms." Spain had the highest number of confirmed gonorrhoea and syphilis cases of the participating European countries in 2024, at 37,169 and 11,556. The ECDC said men who had sex with men remained the most disproportionately affected group, showing the steepest long-term rises in gonorrhoea and syphilis. It also reported that heterosexual women of a reproductive age saw large increases in syphilis. While chlamydia was still the most commonly reported bacterial infection overall, cases had fallen 6% since 2015 to 213,443. The UK has not been part of the research since Brexit, but the government releases its own figures for England each year. According to a UK Health Security Agency report published in December, there were 71,802 gonorrhoea cases in England in 2024, and 9,535 syphilis cases. There were 168,889 chlamydia diagnoses during the same 12 months. The UK rolled out a gonorrhoea vaccine in 2025 after it hit a record 85,000 cases in 2023. Gonorrhoea symptoms can include pain, unusual discharge and inflammation of the genitals - but in some cases no symptoms emerge. The NHS says it can be avoided by the proper use of condoms and by accepting the vaccine if offered. Syphilis symptoms include sores around the genitals and mouth, a rash on the hands, hair loss and flu-like symptoms. They are often hard to notice at first, and can come and go over time. Like gonorrhoea, it can be avoided by using condoms and treated with antibiotics. Both can cause serious problems if left untreated.