Table 2.
Characteristic of bacterial STIs reported by EU/EEA countries to the European surveillance system, 2021.
| Characteristics of cases in 2021a | Chlamydia | Gonorrhoea | Syphilis |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. of reported cases | 184,542 | 46,723 | 25,270 |
| No. of reporting countriesb | 27 | 27 | 28 |
| Male-to-female ratio | 0.9:1 | 5:1 | 9:1 |
| Range of national notification rates per 100,000 population | <1–627 | 2–123 | <1 to 32 |
| Distribution by age group (years) | |||
| 0–14 | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 15–24 | 59.6% | 27.4% | 12.0% |
| 25–34 | 26.7% | 38.6% | 31.9% |
| 35–44 | 8.3% | 20.4% | 25.8% |
| 45+ | 5.1% | 13.4% | 30.1% |
| Distribution by transmission category | |||
| No. of cases with info available | 175,557 | 42,776 | 16,497 |
| Heterosexual females | 47.6% | 16.6% | 8.8% |
| Heterosexual males | 31.5% | 20.2% | 15.2% |
| Men who have sex with men | 19.4% | 62.0% | 75.4% |
| Otherc | 1.4% | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Median age in years by transmission category (IQR) | |||
| No. of cases with info available | 64,259 | 24,241 | 13,393 |
| Heterosexual females | 21 (19–25) | 23 (20–30) | 31 (23–42) |
| Heterosexual males | 23 (21–27) | 27 (22–35) | 37 (28–48) |
| Men who have sex with men | 32 (26–42) | 32 (26–40) | 35 (28–45) |
| Percentage of cases with HIV-positive status by transmission category | |||
| No. of cases with info available | 10,267 | 13,983 | 5279 |
| Heterosexual females | 3.1% | 2.6% | 1.7% |
| Heterosexual males | 4.8% | 5.1% | 4.9% |
| Men who have sex with men | 17.1% | 14.3% | 29.8% |
a
Includes cases from all countries that provided data for 2021 irrespective of consistency of reporting in the previous years and of surveillance system coverage.
b
Details regarding reporting countries, reported cases, and notification rates by country can be found in the Supplementary Appendix Table S5.
c
There is likely underreporting of STIs among non-heterosexual women, and transgender and gender diverse individuals, highlighting the need for better quality data at national an EU level.