Sexually transmitted infections, infections are increasing in Italy: +50% gonorrhea and +20% syphilis
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are the focus of attention in view of the summer: HIV first and foremost, but also viral hepatitis, papilloma virus and bacterial infections caused by chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, with infections of the latter proving to be worryingly increasing. These data were analyzed in the 16th edition of ICAR – Italian Conference on AIDS and Antiviral Research. While waiting for the publication of the official Newsletter of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, the first data from the sentinel surveillance systems of STIs (which does not collect data on all cases of STIs in Italy, but only, let’s say, a “tip of the iceberg”) coordinated by the AIDS Operations Center of the ISS reveal significant increases in the spread of STIs.
“The 2022 data shows an increase in STIs especially among young people. – underlines Barbara Suligoi, COA Director of the ISS – For Gonorrhea, approximately 1200 cases have been reported to the sentinel system, which compared to the 820 in 2021 implies an increase of 50%. For Syphilis, we went from 580 cases in 2021 to 700, therefore an increase of 20%. This growth in numbers is not only an effect of the greater socialization that occurred after the most acute phases of the Covid-19 pandemic, as it is also found compared to 2019, when there were 610 cases of Gonorrhea (therefore compared to then increased by 100%), while those of Syphilis were 470, therefore increased by over 50%. The finding on Chlamydia is also similar: from 800 cases in 1919, it reached 993 in 2022, with an increase of 25%. The most relevant aspect is the involvement of young people, in particular girls under 25: the prevalence of Chlamydia among young people in this age group is 7%, while over 40 years old it is just 1%. In 3 out of 4 cases the infection is asymptomatic, so many girls don’t notice it for a long time.”
“In addition to a lack of information on STIs in the general population, there are some specific causes that involve the young population – Barbara Suligoi highlights –. Young people, in fact, often do not know where to find information and where to carry out the necessary checks, they do not regularly go to a specialist as happens in adulthood with the gynecologist and the andrologist. Furthermore, they often get information on the web, with approximate if not misleading sources. These elements start a cycle of unawareness, which increases exponentially in moments of sociality, in which the threshold of prudence is lowered, with the loss of inhibitions and protections. Furthermore, some young people use drugs or chemsex, but, considering these activities occasional, they do not consider them, erroneously, risky situations. Therefore, more information is needed, education on affectivity at school level, clear paths in the territory for those who need timely advice in case of suspicion of having contracted an STI”.
These themes will also be taken up again at the 10th National Congress of SIMaST – Interdisciplinary Society for the Study of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, which will be held in Rome on 17-18 October. The 16th edition of ICAR took place in Rome, at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, with the participation of over a thousand specialists and clinicians, young researchers, nurses, social workers, volunteers from patient associations, for an initiative that is a point of reference for the scientific community on the subject of HIV-AIDS, Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted and viral Infections.
ICAR is organized under the aegis of SIMIT, the Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, of all the major scientific societies in the infectious and virological area and of the Community world. The presidents of this edition of ICAR are Prof. Antonella Cingolani, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the Catholic University, Rome; Prof. Antonio Di Biagio, Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases, University of Genoa; Massimo Farinella, Head of Health, Circolo Mario Mieli; Prof. Giulia Carla Marchetti, Full Professor of Infectious Diseases, University of Milan.
