STI cases rise in Italy and Europe amid surge in chlamydia and gonorrhea

Data from the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) indicates a significant rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Italy. In 2024, reported STI cases reached nearly 8,000, marking a 12% increase compared to 2023. Notable surges include chlamydia, which rose by 41.5% annually, and gonorrhea, which has seen a fivefold increase since 2010. While new HIV diagnoses remained relatively stable at 2,379 in 2024 compared to 2,507 in 2023, health officials noted a concerning rate of late diagnoses.

On a broader scale, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported that STI cases in Europe have reached their highest levels in a decade. The ECDC highlighted a 303% increase in gonorrhea cases since 2015 and a doubling of syphilis diagnoses. A particularly critical trend is the rise in congenital syphilis, which nearly doubled between 2023 and 2024. Across both regional and national data, infections are most prevalent among men who have sex with men (MSM), and chlamydia rates are notably higher in the 15-24 age demographic.