The World Health Organization has revealed that there are one million daily cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), noting that cases of syphilis, in particular, are increasing at a rapid pace, according to the American network ABC News. A report released by the organization on Tuesday pointed out that the increase in STI cases is linked to four diseases: chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis, emphasizing that this represents "a major concern" for health officials.
The report confirmed that syphilis cases among adults aged 15 to 49 rose from 7.1 million in 2020 to 8 million in 2022. It highlighted that cases of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea are also on the rise, describing this as another "concern." The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed in the report that "the rising rates of syphilis infections raise significant concerns." He continued, "Fortunately, important progress has been made in several other areas, including diagnosis, accelerating access to medication and treatment, and we have the tools necessary to eliminate these diseases by 2030."
According to ABC News, the World Health Organization indicates that men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, sex workers, transgender individuals, and those in prisons or other closed settings continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV. In March, health officials in San Francisco, California, stated that a single dose of doxycycline, an antibiotic used after sexual activity, reduced cases of chlamydia and syphilis among gay, bisexual, and transgender men by half, as reported by the New York Times.
To reduce these rates, the WHO report outlines several recommendations, including accelerating efforts to destigmatize individuals with sexually transmitted infections, enhancing primary prevention, diagnosis, and raising awareness about STIs.
