Condomless Sex Driving STI Spike in Europe: Here’s What We Can Do

So, STIs in Europe are spiking like crazy . Recent data shows syphilis up 34%, chlamydia 16%, and gonorrhoea a whopping 48% (and in Ireland, even worse!). Yikes! The main reason? People ditching condoms. But it’s not just carelessness—lots of factors are at play.

What’s Going On?

• Young people (especially women 20-24) are seeing crazy high STI rates.
• Gay, bisexual, and MSM (men who have sex with men) communities account for the majority of gonorrhoea and syphilis cases.
• Migrants face big challenges too, like language barriers and discrimination.

But what’s fueling the STI surge? There’s no one answer, but a mix of things, like dating apps, declining condom use, and even housing instability. Oh, and PrEP (used to prevent HIV) is leading to more people ditching condoms.

How Do We Fix It?

• Education and Access: Governments need to step up with better sex education and easier access to condoms and testing.
• Tech for Good: Ireland’s free at-home testing service SH:24 is already helping, but we need more!
• Support for Migrants: Breaking down barriers for migrants to access healthcare is key.

TL;DR: If we want to stem the rise of STIs, we need better sex ed, more access to testing, and a lot of real talk about the risks of ditching condoms. Stay safe, folks!