Health officials have raised concerns about a sharp rise in gonorrhea cases across Europe, alongside increases in other sexually transmitted infections.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has issued a warning after observing a steep climb over the past decade.
As of 2024, there was a reported 106,331 cases of gonorrhea in Europe, marking a huge 303 percent increase since 2015, BBC News reports.
Syphilis has also risen significantly, with cases more than doubling over the same time frame to 45,557.
The ECDC defines gonorrhea (which is sometimes referred to as ‘the clap’) as ‘a sexually transmitted infection caused by a bacteria that can affect the genital, rectal and oropharyngeal (throat) areas of both men and women’.
When it comes to what may be driving the surge, the agency has pointed to ‘widening gaps in testing and prevention’. In response, a new gonorrhea vaccination program has been introduced in the UK in recent months.
The vaccine began being offered through sexual health clinics in England in August 2025. It is available at no cost to those considered most at risk of catching the STI, including gay and bisexual men who have recently had multiple sexual partners and a bacterial STI within the last 12 months.
Officials hope the program will prevent infections on a large scale and reduce NHS costs by more than £7.9 million (over $10 million) across the next 10 years. The decision follows reports in 2022 of a so-called ‘super strain’ of the disease.
Beyond vaccination efforts, Bruno Ciancio, who leads the agency’s Directly Transmitted and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases unit, has encouraged people to take basic protective steps, including condom use.
“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,” he said, per BBC, adding: “Protecting your sexual health remains straightforward. Use condoms with new or multiple partners, and get tested if you have symptoms.”
Among European nations, Spain recorded the largest number of confirmed cases of both gonorrhea and syphilis.
According to the ECDC, symptoms usually appear within about two weeks of sexual contact with an infected person, though signs can vary depending on sex and the site of infection.
For women, possible symptoms include vaginal discharge, pain or a burning feeling when urinating, lower abdominal pain, bleeding between periods, and pain during sex.
For men, symptoms can include a burning sensation while urinating, a pus-like discharge from the penis, and less commonly, painful or swollen testicles.
“Both men and women can have rectal infection and have symptoms such as discharge, itching, pain and bleeding from the rectum,” the ECDC adds.
If the infection affects the throat, many people won’t notice any signs at all, though some may develop soreness.
Even without symptoms, a person with gonorrhea can still transmit the infection to sexual partners.
Without treatment, the bacteria can remain in the body, allowing the infection to persist and continue spreading.