These figures are partly explained by the fact that more STI tests have been carried out. Syphilis was thus the most tested last year, with 550,562 treponemal tests having been reimbursed, i.e. a test rate of 47 per 1,000 inhabitants. Between 2021 and 2023, the number of reimbursed tests increased by 16%, notes Sciensano.
The testing rates for chlamydia (37/1,000) and gonorrhea (36/1,000) were similar while the number of tests has increased by 37 and 39% respectively since 2021.
For a long time, chlamydia was diagnosed mainly in women. But, in 2023, the estimated number of diagnoses is almost identical in both sexes, notes Sciensano, with an increase of 41% among men between 2021 and 2023, particularly among those aged 20-34. “This is a trend never observed before,” emphasizes Sciensano.
As for gonorrhea, it was diagnosed five times more in men (+100% since 2021) than in women (+97%) last year. The increase is most pronounced among men aged 20 to 39.
Syphilis is the least reported STI with 73/100,000 inhabitants. Syphilis continues to predominantly affect men, with 7 times more diagnoses in men than in women.
The results presented illustrate the need to devote particular attention to the Brussels-Capital Region, where the number of STI diagnoses reported per inhabitant is the highest, analyzes Sciensano.
For the Institute of Public Health, the global perspective regarding STIs is challenging and worrying. HIV has experienced a worrying increase over the last three years in Belgium, after years of a downward trend, he recalls. Not to mention mpox, monkeypox, which can be transmitted sexually.
The rise in infections reflects increased spread, not just an increase in the volume of testing performed.
Several factors may explain this increase, according to Sciensano, including changes in sexual behavior, such as multiple partners and reduced condom use. Many people may also have an incorrect perception of their risk of exposure to STIs. A situation exacerbated by a lack of knowledge about sexual health which may have been influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic and the confinements and distance learning that accompanied it.
For Sciensano, a national STI plan would allow a coordinated approach to this progression of infections.
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