ANP Picture for illustration
Marieke Schunselaar
news editor
Annabel van Gestel
news editor
Marieke Schunselaar
news editor
Annabel van Gestel
news editor
The number of STDs in the Netherlands continues to increase. It was already announced in June that more people tested positive for an STI in 2022 than a year earlier and that this increase can mainly be seen in the number of gonorrhea diagnoses. From the most recent figures from the RIVM in the hands of News hour shows that this increase in gonorrhea infections has continued this year.
Chlamydia is still the most common STI in the Netherlands, but RIVM calls the increase in the number of gonorrhea diagnoses particularly worrying. In the first half of 2023, the GGD diagnosed 6,655 gonorrhea diagnoses. In the whole of 2022, there were 10,600.
Figures from general practitioners and private providers of STI tests are not included, so the actual number is probably higher.
“Gonorrhea is very contagious and it resembles chlamydia in terms of complaints,” says RIVM doctor Rosa Joosten. “Moreover, it is even more contagious for women and they often do not get any complaints. This makes it more difficult to recognize. This can also have consequences later, such as being more difficult to get pregnant.”
Although gonorrhea is still most commonly diagnosed in men who have sex with men, no significant increase has been seen in that group. The number of gonorrhea infections is increasing, especially among heterosexual young people. Within this group, the increase is again greatest among women, particularly among highly educated women under the age of 25.
The number of gonorrhea diagnoses per quarter since 2021:
RIVMThe number of gonorrhea diagnoses per quarter
RIVM doctor Joost attributes the increase to, among other things, the decreasing use of condoms among young people. “That increase will only increase if condom use stops.” In addition, she thinks there is a ‘catching up’ after corona among young people in the sexual field.
Anne Visser is a student doctor in Groningen and confirms Joost’s suspicion. “In our practice, we see that students make little use of a condom.” Moreover, he says he notices that young people often think: an STI, so what? “The tendency is that you take a pill and you’re off it in no time.”
A 20-year-old student from Groningen – she would like to remain anonymous – says she recognizes herself in this. She recently contracted gonorrhea after having unprotected sex. “The idea is that you’ll get rid of it in no time. I have that myself. If you have it, too bad, take a pill, don’t have sex for a week and then you’ll be off again. I’m sure it’s being downplayed.”
What is Gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea is an STI caused by a bacteria. In men, it can cause infections of the urethra, rectum, throat and epididymis (behind the testicles). Women can get infections of the urethra, cervix, fallopian tubes, throat and rectum. Women get complaints much less often than men. 90 percent of infected men experience symptoms, compared to 30 to 60 percent of women. If the infection is not noticed in time in women, more serious complaints can arise, such as pelvic infection, reduced fertility or an ectopic pregnancy.
The Groningen student had no complaints, but was called by a recent bed partner who had tested positive for gonorrhea. “Precisely because I had no complaints, I thought it was a scary idea that I could get an STI without noticing anything.”
In the coming weeks, the RIVM and the GGDs will be handing out free condoms during the introduction weeks of universities. The message: give love, not STD.
Sex education
According to Joosten, it would help if there were national campaigns again that point to the use of a condom to prevent an STI. She advocates a campaign with a positive message: Enjoy sex, but do it safely. In addition, she believes it would help if the government made more money available for tests at the GGD.
Student doctor Visser adds: “The way of testing is complicated and costs the GGD and therefore the government a lot of money. There are long waiting lists at the GGDs, which means that the threshold for testing is high.”
Visser also advocates subsidizing online test providers. He does think that there should be more regulation for those websites. “They must then receive a quality mark. There is now a proliferation of online providers that are not always reliable.”
2023-08-10 18:17:31
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