Despite decades of significant progress, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, remain a critical public health issue. In 2023, more than 96 000 cases of gonorrhoea were recorded in the European Union, representing a threefold increase over ten years, according to the annual report of 10 February 2025 from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Syphilis cases doubled over the same period. Chlamydia trachomatis infection remains the most common, with over 230 000 confirmed cases. Globally, more than one million people contract an STI every day, and hundreds of millions live with chronic infections such as genital herpes or human papillomavirus.
The fight against HIV is at a critical juncture. In 2024, 1.3 million new infections were recorded worldwide, and in Europe 105 922 HIV diagnoses were registered, 54% of which were at a late stage, compromising the effectiveness of treatment and the prevention of transmission.
The rise in STIs can be attributed in particular to changing sexual behaviours (an increase in the number of partners, certain high-risk practices, and a decline in condom use).
STIs have serious health consequences, contributing to infertility, cancers and complications in pregnancy. Some also increase the risks associated with HIV (infection, transmission, disease progression), whilst antimicrobial resistance considerably exacerbates the situation.
In light of these worrying developments, the Parliamentary Assembly should examine the rise in STIs and the factors driving their spread in Europe and beyond, with a view to strengthening prevention, screening, and access to treatment and vaccination. It should also reiterate the importance of universal health coverage to ensure effective protection for the entire population through prevention policies.