Spaniards have learned very little about how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases in the last 30 years. At least that is what emerges from the last Report on Epidemiological Surveillance of Sexually Transmitted Infections of 2022. which was made public last week by the Ministry of Health. In the year 2022, last one for which data is available, 23,333 cases of gonorrhea were reported, a figure that doubles that of the previous year, with 14,862 cases.
According to the same study, prepared by the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network (RENAVE), 26,518 cases of chlamydia, a figure higher than that of 2021, when 20,638 were reported.
Another of the most worrying data is found in relation to the syphilis: Spain suffered the highest rate since 1995, with 8,141 cases. 29 years ago, 1,010 cases were detected. In the case of Chlamydia, the data we have is from 2016, when they were notified 7,239 cases, compared to 26,518 in 2022.
The incidence of gonorrhea by autonomous communities in 2022 presents a very wide range, between 6.94 and 121.88 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The highest rates were recorded in Catalonia, the Basque Country, Madrid and the Balearic Islands. The lowest rates were reported in Melilla, Extremadura, Castilla La Mancha and Asturias. Ceuta did not report any cases in 2022.
Individualized information on age and sex was available in 23,218 of the 23,333 cases. declared (99.5%). 79.9% (18,564 cases) were men and the male:female ratio was 4.0. According to age, the highest rates of gonorrhea occurred in the 20 to 24 year old group (198.23) followed by the 25 to 34 year old group (167.60). By sex, the rates in men were higher than those in women in all age groups with 81.31 cases per 100,000 inhabitants compared to 19.59 cases.
21.6% were homosexual men, 5.5%, 18.1% to heterosexual women, 51.6% to men with unspecified sexual transmission and 3.1% to women with unspecified sexual transmission.
In 2022, the Higher rates of chlamydia were observed in Catalonia, Navarra, the Basque Country and Madrid. Those with the lowest rates were Aragón, Extremadura and Castilla La Mancha. Melilla did not report any cases.
48.2% (12,792 cases) were women and the median age at diagnosis was 27 years, with women being younger than men (24 years and 30 years respectively). Most cases occurred between 25-34 years (36.4%) and 20-24 years (26.4%). The percentage of cases between 15 and 19 years old was 10.9%, corresponding to 17.3% of the total cases in women and 4.8% in men.
Regarding cases of syphilis, in 2022 Spain suffered the highest rate since 1995. The communities that reported highest rates were Canary Islands, Madrid, Catalonia and Balearic Islands. Those with the lowest incidence were Aragón, La Rioja and Castilla La Mancha. Melilla did not report cases in 2022.
As in gonococcal infection -gonorrhea-, rates were higher in men homosexuals (71.5%), 10.2% corresponded to heterosexual women, 4.2% to heterosexual men and 12.3% and 1.9% to men and women with unspecified sexual transmission, respectively.
In this disease it is It is very common that it also occurs together with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): 5.1% of the cases were positive, 8.3% negative, in 16.4% the test had not been performed and in 70.2% this information was not available.
Finally, the report also shows figures on cases of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV), infection reported 912 cases in 2022a figure much higher than that of 2021, where 654 cases were reported. There has also been notable growth in this STI since 2016, when 248 cases were reported. In 2022, the 98.5% of reported LGV cases were men, notifying only 14 cases in women. The average age at diagnosis was 36 years, being higher in men than in women and most cases were between 25 and 44 years old.
