The number of syphilis cases recorded since 2010 has risen considerably, mainly affecting homosexual men.
According to one study of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, in ten years, between 2007 and 2017, 260,000 cases of syphilis were recorded in 30 countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area. In 2017, 33,000 new cases were recorded, a record since the start of syphilis surveillance by the European agency.
By 2010, the rate had fallen to an all-time low of 4.2 cases per 100,000 people. But in 2017, that rate increased by 70% to 7.1 per 100,000 people. This means that for the first time since the early 2000s, EU and EEA countries are reporting more cases of syphilis than AIDS.
Homosexual men mostly affected
Between 2010 and 2017, 15 countries reported an increase of more than 15 points in their syphilis notification rates. But some record rates that have more than doubled, such as Iceland (876%), Ireland (224%), the United Kingdom (153%), Germany (144%) and Malta (123%).
Diagnoses were consistently higher among men with a rate dropping from 6.1 per 100,000 people in 2010 to 12.1 in 2017. Between 2007 and 2017, almost two-thirds of cases were gay men. Heterosexual men accounted for 23% of cases and women 15%.
“There is a clear link between risky sexual practices and the risk of contracting syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases, explains Andrew Amato-Gauci, head of the Center’s program on AIDS, STIs and viral hepatitis . The increase in syphilis infections that we are seeing in Europe and other countries is the result of several factors such as forgetting to use condoms, more partners and a reduced fear of contracting AIDS.”
“To counter this trend, it is important to encourage people to use condoms with their new and regular partners. Regular testing for syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases is also necessary,” he continues.
Fewer cases in women
Good news: cases of congenital syphilis have been falling since 2005, thanks in particular to a consistent drop in syphilis cases among women over this period, particularly in Eastern Europe. This has contributed to the decline in the rate of transmission from woman to child in Europe.
Namely: the diagnosis and treatment of syphilis are accessible and inexpensive. When left untreated, syphilis can lead to severe complications and can facilitate the transmission of the AIDS virus.
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