The incidence of gonorrhea will increase by 42.6% between 2021 and 2023.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continued their trend growing in Spain over the past year, with gonococcal infections, or gonorrhea, increasing by 42.6 percent and syphilis by 24.1 percent between 2021 and 2023, as shown in the report “Epidemiological Surveillance of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Spain.” 2023.” “, published by the National Epidemiological Center of the Carlos III Institute of Health (ISCIII).
In particular, the report states that in 2023 34,403 cases of gonococcal infectionFor syphilis, there were 10,879 cases reported in 2023, up from 6,841 in 2021 and 8,531 in 2022. available, 7,239 cases) and 2023 (36,983 cases).
Incidence of gonococcal infection in autonomous settlements 2023 represents a very wide range and with large differences – from 9.24 to 165.30 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The highest rates were recorded in Catalonia (165.30), Madrid (94.08), Basque Country (78.37) and Andalusia (58.64). The lowest rates were recorded in Ceuta (1.20), Melilla (2.34), Aragon (9.24), Castile and Leon (12.59) and Extremadura (16.12).
Homosexual relationships
Of the total number of reported cases, 44.2 percent (15,216 cases) had transfer information. Of these, 39.3 percent corresponded to homosexual relationships between men, 5.8 percent to men with heterosexual relationships, 17.2 percent to heterosexual relationships among women, 34.5 percent to men with unspecified sexual transmission and 3.2 percent to women with unspecified sexual intercourse. In eight cases diagnosed in newborns, the virus was transmitted from mother to child.
Regarding cases of syphilis, autonomous communities reporting incidence the highest in 2023 were the Canary Islands. (53.91), Balearic Islands (33.97), Madrid (32.52) and Catalonia (30.54). The lowest incidence was in La Rioja (2.17), Castile-La Mancha (3.36) and Aragon (6.11). As with gonococcal infection, rates were higher in men (40.66) than women (5.27), and the age group with the highest rates was 25 to 34 years (64.97 per 100,000).
The report also included seven confirmed cases of early congenital syphilis (under two years of age) in 2023. These cases corresponded to five boys and two girls, all of whom were diagnosed in the first months of life.