Sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing in the Vigo Health District has increased year by year and peaked in 2019. But that was after the pandemic, when COVID-19 cut off social interaction from isolation before its spread began to spread. Got an amazing boost.so that heChlamydia and gonorrhea rates more than double in general population. The number of cases in the first age group increased from 46 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2019 to 112 in 2022, and in the second age group from 19 to 48 cases. But there’s one age group that doesn’t get much attention because of its numbers – it doesn’t even make up 4%. Positive – but because before it was there it was something special. This is a matter for minors. Since the beginning of 2021, the microbiology unit of the University General Hospital of Vigo (Chuvi) has identified 55 cases among young people aged 15 to 18 years.
doctors Carmen Porter and Sandra CortissoThe person responsible for detecting these pathologies in the laboratory of Meixoeiro Hospital explains Sexually transmitted infection diagnoses are increasing across all ages. They noted that before the outbreak, it was very rare for minors to test positive, and even “uncommon” before the age of 25.
Specifically, 11 cases were found among minors in 2021, accounting for 4% of positive cases of any age, and the same was true in 2022, accounting for 2.1%. So far this year, that number has been exceeded. There were 14 confirmed cases in the first eight months, accounting for 3.8% of the total. The incidence of gonorrhea is low. There were 4 cases in 2021, accounting for 1.5%; there were 13 cases last year, accounting for 2.6%; there were 2 cases this year, accounting for 1%.
In the next age group, the incidence rises sharply. Since January 1, 2021, 367 cases of chlamydia and 171 cases of gonorrhea have been registered among those aged 19 to 25 years. Roughly speaking, they account for about one-third of those detected in the entire population.
Ugo Barreiro | Click on image to enlarge
Regarding HIV, no cases of sexual transmission among minors have been found. Dr. Cortizo commented that it is logical that the incidence is lower in this group, but doctors should not hesitate to order a complete STI serology if there are signs. “For teenagers, doctors don’t think much about this. They should ask if they have started having sex, if there are risks, and if so, we encourage them to ask for a serological test,” he said. With this analysis, antibodies against HIV, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis can be detected in the blood. According to the Galician study, the observed increase is consistent with increases in other sexually transmitted infections in the general population.
Portal and Cortizo warned that while chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea can be cured with medication, reinfections can still occur and are “gateways” to HIV. There are also drugs for this virus that can keep it at undetectable levels so it doesn’t spread, but people with it are at greater risk of developing other illnesses. “It is a chronic infection and inflammation that can lead to worsening health conditions,” they stressed.
Behind the increase in incidence, microbiologists believe, may be greater use of dating apps and an increase in the number of sexual partners, as well as a relaxation of protection (barrier methods) due to the presence of more effective drugs. They concluded that “habits have changed” and argued that awareness campaigns targeting ordinary citizens were necessary to encourage condom use.
They note that another factor in this increase is that there are more searches, specific programs targeting risk groups, and better diagnosis. “Now we use PCR, which is a more sensitive test,” the doctor explained. The number of samples they received increased tenfold from the thousands they received in 2015.
To them, they are more than just samples to be analyzed. They are looking at the patient holistically. Once they test positive, they are called directly to the infectious disease clinic — doctors Mirales, Ocampo and Morano — where they are prioritized, sometimes the next day, to stop the spread.
Dr. Ocampo.
“Chemsex”, a worrying reality
Dr. Antonio Ocampo of the Chuvi Infectious Disease Clinic said the rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) “is a problem we have to address.” In the general population, he attributes this to a greater desire for interaction after the pandemic, as well as health workers more aggressively searching among at-risk groups due to better diagnostics.
He said they had observed a relaxation in condom use and how apps that “quickly connect people who want to have sex” became popular, even among 14- and 15-year-olds. “They’re anxious to lose their virginity, but they’re still kids and they’re scared,” he noted. He called for more sex education in schools with “clear messages” but without fear as they were “counterproductive”.
Another group they observed that made them wary was men who have sex with men. The use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been very effective in preventing HIV infection. “But they relaxed and forgot about the condom.” This is how other sexually transmitted infections are spread.
Added to the cocktail is chemical, Partying lasting several days over the weekend, using drugs and having sex. Ocampo noted that the incidence is low, but it’s a reality in the region and it’s increasing, whereas just a few years ago it was just anecdotal. In them, the infection occurs through sexual contact and through sharing needles for injecting certain drugs.
They have patients who are addicted to them. “Doctor, I don’t know what to do, please help me. Before I did it just for fun, I didn’t even like it. It was necessary,” he said he was told. They provide them with psychological support.