The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported in 2024 that gonorrhoea and syphilis reached their highest levels in over a decade in Europe and called for urgent action to address the surge in transmission. The agency said widening gaps in testing and prevention were partly behind the rise.

There were 106,331 reported cases of gonorrhoea in Europe in 2024, an increase of 303% since 2015. Reported syphilis cases reached 45,557 in 2024, more than double the figure recorded in 2015. Congenital syphilis cases, which refer to infections passed directly to newborns and can lead to lifelong complications, nearly doubled from 2023 to 2024.

Spain reported 37,169 cases of gonorrhoea and 11,556 cases of syphilis in 2024, the highest among participating European countries. The United Kingdom has not participated in the agency's research since Brexit, and the UK government releases its own sexually transmitted infection figures for England each year.

"These infections can cause severe complications, such as chronic pain and infertility and, in the case of syphilis, problems with the heart or nervous system," said Bruno Ciancio, head of the agency's Directly Transmitted and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases unit. Men who have sex with men were the most disproportionately affected group for gonorrhoea and syphilis in Europe, exhibiting the steepest long-term rises, according to the ECDC. Heterosexual women of reproductive age saw large increases in syphilis cases. Reported chlamydia cases totalled 213,443 in 2024, a 6% decrease since 2015.

Symptoms of gonorrhoea can include pain, unusual genital discharge, and genital inflammation, and some infections may be asymptomatic, according to the NHS. Gonorrhoea can be avoided by proper condom use and by accepting the vaccine if offered, the NHS said. Symptoms of syphilis can include sores around the genitals and mouth, a rash on the hands, hair loss, and flu-like symptoms; symptoms may be hard to notice initially and can recur. Syphilis can be avoided by using condoms and treated with antibiotics. Untreated gonorrhoea and syphilis can cause serious health problems.

"Protecting your sexual health remains straightforward. Use condoms with new or multiple partners, and get tested if you have symptoms," Ciancio said.