Gay men driving sexual infection surge in Europe – study
Bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have reached record levels across Europe, with gonorrhoea and syphilis cases surging, particularly among homosexual men, according to new data released Thursday by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
The report for 2024 found that gonorrhoea reached its highest level since EU monitoring began in 2009, with 28 EU and EEA countries reporting 106,331 confirmed cases. Cases among men increased 7.9% in 2024, while infections among women fell 8.6%.
Syphilis infections more than doubled over the same period, reaching 45,577 cases, with rates more than six times higher among men than women. Chlamydia remained the most commonly reported STI, with 213,443 cases.
According to the ECDC, homosexual men accounted for most reported gonorrhoea (62%) and syphilis (69%) cases.
“Sexually transmitted infections have been on the rise for 10 years and reached record high levels in 2024,” said Bruno Ciancio, head of ECDC’s unit for directly transmitted and vaccine-preventable diseases. “Untreated, these infections can cause severe complications, such as chronic pain and infertility and, in the case of syphilis, problems with the heart or nervous system.”
The ECDC linked the increase to failures in prevention and screening and unequal access to testing across Europe, noting that 13 of 29 reporting countries require patients to pay out of pocket for basic STI tests. The report did not specify which countries recorded the sharpest increases.
The EU has long promoted LGBTQ rights through anti-discrimination laws, recognition of same-sex marriages for residency and free movement, and funding policies tied to protections for sexual minorities and gender identities.
Several members, however, have resisted Brussels on LGBTQ policies. Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania, and Slovakia do not recognize same-sex marriage and legally recognize only two genders.
Under Viktor Orban, Hungary adopted a 2021 law restricting the promotion of homosexuality and gender transition to minors, but after his election defeat, incoming Prime Minister Peter Magyar signaled a shift by pitching Judit Lannert – described by media as Hungary’s “first LGBT activist” – as education minister.
Russia, which has taken steps to promote traditional values, has banned “LGBTQ propaganda” and designated the movement as “extremist.” Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, have argued that Western-promoted LGBTQ agendas seek to “erode, erase, and subjugate” the values and identities of other countries.
Russia has not banned non-traditional relationships themselves, with President Vladimir Putin repeatedly stating that relationships between adults are a private matter. However, he has stressed that the promotion of such relationships, especially among minors, is prohibited.
