2023-10-29 08:00:29
Shocking results: The number of people infected with sexually transmitted diseases is increasing worldwide. Austrians are also increasingly affected – gonorrhea and chlamydia infections are particularly dominant.
Published on October 28, 2023, 6:30 p.m
With 17 million reported cases of sexually transmitted infectious diseases, a historic high was recorded in the European region of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2019. Against this background, international experts, including Georg Stary and Katja Knapp from MedUni Vienna, have provided a comprehensive overview of the situation and the challenges for public health. The series of articles is currently being published in the renowned journal “The Lancet Regional Health – Europe”.
One of the goals of the United Nations in the “Agenda 2030” is to reduce sexually transmitted infections (STIs) to such an extent that the danger to the world population is averted. In order to bring this project back into focus, at least in the European WHO region, after the Covid-19 pandemic, scientists addressed the topic in four recently published studies. Among other things, the epidemiology in Europe, ongoing prevention strategies in various countries, and access to modern treatment methods for those affected were analyzed.
Current data illustrates the urgent need for action: For example, between 2010 and 2019, the number of syphilis cases among 15 to 49-year-olds in Europe increased by 87 percent. In the same period, almost twice as many new HIV diagnoses were made as in previous decades, meaning that around 1.5 million people are currently reported to be affected. Also alarming is the Europe-wide increase in chlamydia and gonorrhea (“gonorrhea”) as well as the occurrence of infections that were not previously associated with primarily sexual transmission (e.g. hepatitis B or shigellosis). Austria is also following this worrying trend and is particularly notable for its high levels of gonorrhea and chlamydia infections, according to Stary and Knapp.
The scientists believe that the reasons for this development are an increase in high-risk behavior during sexual contacts, which in particular includes unprotected sexual intercourse with changing partners. This is supported, among other things, by the very efficient preventative strategy of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, which prevents infections with HIV but can cause the increasing spread of other STIs by not using condoms.
As alarming as the numbers are, their significance is limited due to country-specific conditions. Accordingly, one of the experts’ demands is to standardize surveillance and reporting systems for STIs in the individual European WHO member states. This means that reliable data can be obtained on the size and composition of target groups, particularly for prevention measures. Above all, this includes maintaining awareness of the enormous importance of condoms as protection against STIs. “Especially in Austria, there is often a lack of meaningful data on the occurrence of the most common STIs,” criticizes Stary. “Resistance profiles for bacterial STIs are also urgently needed to be able to administer antibiotics quickly and in a targeted manner if necessary.”
A notice: This post was updated on October 29, 2023, at 7:00 a.m.]
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