NOS News•today, 09:01•Amended today, 2:17 PM
The number of people infected with the venereal disease gonorrhea continues to increase explosively. Last year, the number of people diagnosed with the disease grew by 31 percent, the year before that number had already increased by 33 percent. In total, there were 13,853 cases in 2023.
According to the RIVM, the increase among women is particularly large: the number of diagnoses increased from 1468 to 2598, an increase of 78 percent. The increase of 51 percent was also striking among heterosexual men, from 666 cases to 1,007. In general, the disease is most commonly diagnosed in men who have sex with men. The Netherlands is not unique in the increase: this can be seen throughout Europe, according to the RIVM.
Gonorrhea is caused by a bacterium, which can lead to infections in, for example, the urethra, rectum, epididymis and cervix. An infection can be treated, but the disease is also easy to prevent by using a condom. The RIVM calls it important that infected people warn their bed partners as soon as possible.
Combination of factors
The RIVM does not yet see a direct cause for the increase. “It is probably a combination of several factors,” says Birgit van Benthem of the RIVM. According to her, it could be due to the behavior, but possibly also to the bacteria that are easier to transmit from person to person. The latter is now being investigated, but no conclusion has yet been reached.
According to Soa Aids Nederland, there may also be a connection between the decline in prevention campaigns and the increase in gonorrhea. According to the foundation, there is still “very minimal” investment in campaigns and this is reflected in the testing. According to Soa Aids Nederland, this has made it more difficult to have an STD test taken.
Declining condom use
According to Soa Aids Nederland, the declining use of condoms among young people in recent years may also cause gonorrhea to become more common. They would also downplay the risk of venereal disease because treatments are available, research showed at the beginning of this year.
Previously, RIVM doctor Rosa Joosten warned that women in particular should be alert to possible infection. “It is even more contagious for women and they often do not experience any symptoms. This makes it more difficult to recognize. This can also have consequences later, such as making it more difficult to get pregnant.”
The RIVM figures show that other STDs have remained fairly stable. Chlamydia is still the most common STD with 24,048 cases, but the number of infections decreased slightly. Syphilis rose by 8 percent and HIV remained virtually the same.
‘Do more on prevention’
In light of the sharp increase in gonorrhea, Soa Aids Netherlands is calling on the government to start another prevention campaign. The organization recalls the success of the Freely Safe campaign that ran between 1987 and 2011 and points out that condom use has been declining since 2012.
“These figures make it clear that we in the Netherlands are not investing enough in the prevention of STDs among young people,” says director Mark Vermeulen. “If we do not continue to draw attention to the importance of condom use in the Netherlands and do not make access to sexual health care more accessible, the number of STDs will continue to rise.”
Vermeulen also believes that more money should go to the Sexual Health Centers, where people from vulnerable groups can be tested for STDs free and anonymously. Its budget has not been adjusted to rising costs since 2015, which means there are waiting lists. Because many people do not want to go to the doctor for a test out of shame or because of the costs, not everyone receives the right treatment on time.
