The number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases is increasing in Europe. With 17 million reports in 2019, a negative record was recorded, as the Med-Uni Vienna announced.
Between 2010 and 2019, syphilis diagnoses among 15- to 49-year-olds increased by 87 percent. In addition, almost twice as many new HIV cases were discovered than in previous decades, currently affecting around 1.5 million people in Europe. The reason is increased risk behavior and according to MedUni Vienna, Austria is also following this trend.
One of the UN’s objectives is to reduce sexually transmitted infections (STDs) to such an extent that the danger to the world population is averted. To bring this project back into the spotlight, at least in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region, after the Covid-19 pandemic, scientists have addressed the topic in four recently published studies.
In addition to the figures for syphilis and HIV, the European increase in chlamydia and gonorrhea (“gonorrhea”) and the occurrence of infections such as hepatitis B and shigellosis are also alarming. Austria is particularly notable for its high number of gonorrhea and chlamydia infections, explain Georg Stary and Katja Knapp from the University Clinic for Dermatology of MedUni Vienna.
Risky behavior during sexual contacts
The researchers see the reasons for this development as an increase in risky behavior during sexual contacts, including especially unprotected sexual intercourse. This is supported, among other things, by the highly efficient preventive strategy of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. This preventive medicine helps prevent HIV infections, but not using condoms could cause the spread of other STDs, the warning reads.
As alarming as the figures are, their significance is limited due to country-specific circumstances. “Especially in Austria, there is often a lack of meaningful data on the occurrence of the most common STDs,” Stary criticized.
Source: Krone
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