A STUDY says that the number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) fell in Spain last year.
The National Epidemiology Centre(CNE) says the drop in STIs breaks a rising trend in cases over the last decade.
The El Pais newspaper reports a slight drop in syphilis infections, a stabilisation in gonorrhoea case numbers, but a moderate rise in reported chlamydia infections.
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Chlamydia is the most prominent STI with nearly 91 cases per 100,000 people compared to just 18 reports per 100,000 in 2015.
One of the CNE study authors, Victoria Hernando, told El Pais that cases had ‘stabilised but are still at high levels’.
She said that the slowdown may be down to prevention campaigns aimed at the most vulnerable populations, the promotion of condom use, plus awareness and training of health professionals.
A secondary factor like the use of of self-test kits might also have contributed to a reduction in cases.
The changes buck an upward trend since the year 2000 which had been quickening up over the last ten years.
A fall happened in 2020 down to pandemic lockdown measures, only to shoot up in 2021, and reaching an all-time high three years later.
Experts put the increase down to fewer people using condoms and phone apps that encourage hook ups for sex.
They also state that measures introduced to monitor people with ‘risk behaviour’ have detected more infections as result of extra screenings.
Juan Carlos Galan, head of the Virology section of the Microbiology Service of the Ramon y Cajal Hospital, told El Pais that the increase in STIs and last year’s slowdown are mainly due to detection, rather than a change in sexual habits.
He also states that quarterly screenings are being spaced out over time for logistical reasons, which is probably leading to fewer detections.
Galan also feels that the introduction of DoxyPEP which involves taking an antibiotic after unprotected sex to reduce the risk of contracting bacterial STIs, may be also be factor.
“It can influence the drop in infections, although it still needs to be explained why gonorrhoea cases are not rising as this medication does not have much impact,” he stated.
“The mere fact of prescribing the antibiotic can influence the diagnosis, because we are not screening these people but the fall in STIs is good news.”
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