Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis: these three sexually transmitted bacterial infections experienced a marked increase between 2020 and 2022 in mainland France due to their surveillance in general medicine, according to data published on Tuesday by Public Health France.
In 2022, the proportion of chlamydia infections increased by 16% compared to 2020, with 102 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, that of gonorrhea by 91%, with 44 cases per 100,000, and that of syphilis increased by 110%, with 21 cases per 100,000. , conclude researchers from Sorbonne University, Inserm and the Pierre Louis Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health based on comments from the Sentinels network.
The general doctors of this network, volunteers, declare and describe every week the number of cases of these three infections, confirmed biologically and treated in consultation.
“A major public health problem”
Since 2020, the proportion of bacterial STI diagnoses as part of screening has increased in general practice (from 32% to 50% in 2022 for syphilis, from 18.4% to 35.3% for gonorrhea, from 47% 57.2% for chlamydia), according to a study published in the weekly epidemiological bulletin.
Cases with gonorrhea or syphilis were much more frequent in men, had more multiple partners, more history of sexually transmitted infections, more co-infections with HIV and more use of preventive treatment against AIDS (PrEP) than those with chlamydia, summary the researchers.
Since the early 2000s, STIs of bacterial origin have begun to increase again in Western countries, after a decline over the previous 20 years in the wake of the AIDS epidemic. At the same time, protection during sexual relations, especially with condoms, has decreased.
However, “STIs represent an important public health problem due to their transmissibility (to the partner and from mother to the fetus), their frequency, the long-term complications they induce (chronic pelvic pain, upper genital infections, infertility, cancer). , etc.). ) and its role in the transmission of HIV,” recalls the study.
Its authors consider “it is important to continue efforts in terms of combined detection of all STIs (HIV, bacterial STIs, hepatitis B and C) in patients and their partners, in order to quickly initiate treatment and interrupt chains of transmission” .
Source: BFM TV
