Sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise across the West. The reason is not clear, but the numbers are inclement: syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, are spreading at an anomalous speed both in Europe and in the United States. So much so that both the American health authority (CDC) and the European one (ECDC) launched a real alarm, reminding citizens of the importance of safe sex in view of the summer, a period in which the opportunities for sexual encounters increase and exchange of sexually transmitted pathogens.
United States
In America, the most recent data (relating to 2022) speak of over 2 and a half million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. An out-of-control epidemic of venereal diseases – as defined by the National Coalition of STD Directors, an organization that brings together sexually transmitted disease experts in the United States – driven mainly by a dramatic increase in new cases of syphilis, which have grown by well 80% in the last five years, reaching over 200 thousand new cases in 2022.
As American experts remind us, syphilis is a serious but treatable disease. In adults it is contracted during sexual intercourse, and is usually intercepted well before it can put the patients' lives at risk. However, pediatric patients are the real danger. In fact, the infection in the initial stages is often asymptomatic, and children can contract the disease from their mothers, who often do not know they are suffering from it, during pregnancy and childbirth.
As of 2022, 3,700 pediatric cases have been reported in America, an increase of 937% in just 10 years. And in this age group it can cause developmental delays, epileptic seizures, and even death: in 2022, in America congenital forms of syphilis caused 282 deaths of children during pregnancy or in the first months after giving birth.
Europe
In Europe, the alarm comes from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, which based on data released in March by the same agency has decided to renew the invitation to practice safe sex in the summer months, in light of an increase defined as “worrying” of infections caused by sexually transmitted diseases.
Again, the numbers are for 2022, and see a 48% increase in gonorrhea cases, 34% in syphilis cases and 16% for chlamydia. Cases of congenital syphilis are also increasing, but with numbers that are very distant from those in America: in fact, in 2022, 69 confirmed cases of congenital syphilis were recorded in 14 nations of the European Union.
The health authorities' recommendation for all European citizens is to use condoms and other precautions, especially in the case of casual sex. For those who have particularly promiscuous sexual activity, it is also recommended to carry out periodic tests to ensure that they have not contracted sexually transmitted diseases, and thus avoid contributing to the circulation of dangerous viruses and bacteria.