Gonorrhea increased sixfold between 2011 and 2021 and continues to grow

this Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) They keep increasing. Cases of gonorrhea, syphilis or chlamydia, among other sexually transmitted infections, have been rising and escalating for years, and it hasn’t stopped, worrying health authorities.

Behind this upsurge is a SuMom is multi-caused. Factors such as easier sex, less condom use, or a lack of awareness of the problem conspired and fed back to lead to a spike in infections.

The data speak for themselves. Gonorrhea cases increased by 480% between 2011 and 2021 (from 2,640 to 15,338), syphilis cases nearly doubled.In just five years, between 2016 and 2021, the number of people infected Chlamydia trachomatis Statistics have almost tripled National Epidemiological Surveillance Network Carlos III Health Research Institute (RENAVE).

2021 is the last year for which official figures are available for Spain, but provisional records managed by RENAVE suggest that infection rates will continue to grow.

The latest Epidemiological Bulletin released yesterday showed that there have been 9,484 gonorrhea cases so far this year, a figure well above the 6,203 cases (52.8 percent more) recorded during the same period last year. Provisional figures for syphilis also show a significant increase: 3,929 cumulative cases compared to 2,886 the previous year.

“These data have not yet been consolidated, but trend up. We have seen STIs increase over the years, only to decline in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. ’” said Victoria Hernando, a researcher in the HIV, STI, and Hepatitis B and C Surveillance Unit of the Institute’s Department of Health. Charles III.

The rise in STIs is not unique to Spain. “The number of notifiable sexually transmitted infections (eg, chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea, or lymphogranuloma venereum) and non-sexually transmitted infections (eg, anogenital herpes, scabies, HPV-associated lesions, etc.) has increased globally in recent decades ”, explains Mar Vera, President of the Specialist Group on Sexually Transmitted Infections (GEITS) of the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), a doctor at the Sandoval Center in Madrid, specializing in STIs.

According to World Health Organization estimates, More than a million people are infected with sexually transmitted diseases every day. In 2020, Villa noted, “approximately 374 million new cases of curable STIs were reported: 129 million cases of chlamydia, 82 million cases of gonorrhea, 7.1 million cases of syphilis and 156 million cases of trichomoniasis.”

Cases reported this year include anna30 years old, did not want to reveal his real name. With lower abdominal pain and extra menstrual bleeding, she went to the doctor, who diagnosed chlamydia. “I was in a relationship where I wasn’t protective. I knew this boy and the truth is I didn’t even think about the possibility of an STI,” he said.

Ana cited low risk self-perception and lax condom use as two factors contributing to the rise in STIs, the experts consulted noted.

“In the ’80s and ’90s, with the HIV epidemic, there was a lot of talk about the risks of unprotected relationships. People were terrified of HIV. Today, HIV infection is a chronic disease and the death rate has dropped dramatically, Logically, Part of this fear doesn’t exist eitherHernando pointed out.

In addition, the technology available today facilitates access to more sexual partners and, if the sex is unprotected, also contributes to the spread of these infections.

“The way sexual relations have changed. “Mobile apps and other facilities can interact with people far from their usual environment, making it easier for infections to spread explosively,” said Juan Carlos Galán, Microbiology Service Specialist at Ramón y Cajal Public Hospital of the Community of Madrid and member of GEITS.

“Sexually transmitted infections are the ill effects of increased sexual freedom, A freer society with more rights for historically oppressed groups such as women or LGTBIQ+ people. The sexual dynamics of the population changed and this was reflected in the transmission of these infections,” reflects Jorge García, a specialist in the sexually transmitted disease unit at the Drassanes-Vall d’Hebron Center in Barcelona,​recalls , among the different reasons explaining the increase in STIs is the fact that “diagnosing and recording methods have improved considerably in recent decades. A few years ago, he emphasized that techniques such as PCR are very sensitive in detecting infection-causing microbes.

The growth of STIs is also influenced by the fact that: “Greatly lowering the age at which teens start sexual relationships”Vera stressed. Sex begins earlier. “This group, who are transitioning into adulthood, is biologically and behaviorally at greater risk for different sexually transmitted infections.”

Young people aged 15 to 24 make up 10 percent of the Spanish population, “but the incidence of STIs in this age group is much higher,” added Hernando, noting that by 2021, the percentage of chlamydia cases in this age group will The group was 39.1%, accounting for 23% of gonorrhea cases and 12% of syphilis cases.

prejudice and stigma

practice and other issues Chemical, the use of drugs for sexual purposes, which facilitates unprotected sexual relations. They ended up in a perfect storm against the pathogens, ignorance, prejudice and stigma that continued to surround these infections.

“In counseling, a lot of people are surprised when you tell them they have an STI because they think it only happens to other people. There’s a prejudice that people think it only happens in certain populations, but the fact is that It can affect anyone who is sexually active.’, explains Irene Fuertes, coordinator of the STI and HIV research group at the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV).

Myths and misconceptions about how STIs are spread, how to protect yourself or what risk factors are are also prevalent and contribute to increasing cases because they keep the chain of infection from stopping.

“There are many people, for example, Do not think they may have an STI in their throat “Or the false belief that if they don’t have any external symptoms, they’re not infected,” Garcia said. “There’s a lack of training and education.”

PatriciaThe 29-year-old, who also did not want to use his real name, had no symptoms that raised the possibility of infection. But during a routine check-up by a gynecologist, she discovered that she had a high-risk type of HPV that hadn’t been detected in her previous tests.

“The reality is that many infected people are completely asymptomatic,” Garland said. According to the Ministry of Health, more than 70 percent of women and more than 50 percent of men with chlamydia infection are asymptomatic. Likewise, it is estimated that more than 50% of women and 5% to 25% of men infected with gonorrhoeae do not show any external symptoms.

However, they are asymptomatic”That doesn’t mean they can’t spread the infection to other people or that they can’t cause complications”Garland pointed out.

Irene Fuertes also expressed the same sentiment: “Many infections can cause long-term problems. For example, human papillomavirus can cause cancer in different mucous membranes, such as the cervix. We know that these tumors are due to HPV infection.”, If this infection didn’t happen, they wouldn’t develop,” he commented.

HPV isn’t the only STI that’s more serious than an infection. If left untreated, syphilis may cause cardiovascular or neurological damage years after infection. Also, pregnant women are at risk of transmitting the infection to the fetus, which can lead to congenital syphilis, miscarriage, and stillbirth.

Additionally, chlamydia is the only STI that is more common in women and “can lead to serious complications” such as infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease or ectopic pregnancy.

“STIs are a real public health problem that must be confronted”’, concluded Hernando.

Experts consulted believe that, in addition to promoting the use of protective methods such as condoms in the population, it is imperative to increase knowledge, availability and access to screening tests, as well as to promote coordinated multidisciplinary care and health education from schools.

“Most STIs do not cause symptoms. We may find them in the vagina, penis, rectum or pharynx and not realize it, so we will continue to transmit them and increase the number of people affected. This is why it is imperative to promote sexual Screening for transmitted infections Regular screening for STIs to stop transmission, Garcia stressed, also emphasized the usefulness of conducting contact studies.

Recently, GEITS signed a partnership agreement with the Ministry of Health to improve training for the general public and health professionals.

“Removing the stigma that this infection still carries is key,” agreed the experts consulted.

Certain groups are more susceptible to STIs and are at greater risk of contracting and transmitting different STIs, such as men who have sex with men, young people and adolescents, people who use drugs or sex workers and their clients. But that doesn’t mean STIs are unique to these groups, experts stress. “STIs can affect anyone who has sex.”