where are we in france?

THE ESSENTIAL

• Sexually transmitted diseases are infections caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites that are sexually transmitted. These infections can affect anyone and are transmitted during unprotected vaginal, oral, or anal sex.
• The decreases in the use of screening in 2020, observed for both HIV and bacterial STIs, may raise fears of a delay in diagnosis and increased circulation of these infections.

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“From now on, the possibility of screening will be extended to all sexually transmitted infections to fight the resumption of infections as soon as possible”. This was announced by the Minister of Health, François Braun in daily maintenance 20 minutes Tuesday 20 September. While until now only screening for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, responsible for AIDS) was free, this free now covers screening for all STIs, without a prescription up to 26 years of age. This measure, in addition to the free morning-after pill at any age, will be included in the Social Security Financing Bill for 2023.

Sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise in France

Mr. Braun justifies this measure with a remark: “The increase in sexually transmitted infections, in particular Chlamydia and gonococcus”. Chlamydia (or chlamydia) and gonorrhea (also called “hot piss”) are two of the four most common sexually transmitted diseases, along with trichomoniasis and syphilis. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than a million new cases of these four sexually transmitted diseases are registered every day worldwide.

According to Public Health France data, these infections have actually been on the rise since the early 2000s. Between 2017 and 2019, the number of diagnosed chlamydial infections increased by 29%. This increase is more marked among women between 15 and 24 years (+ 41%) and among men between 15 and 29 years (+ 45%). The number of gonorrhea diagnoses increased by 21%.

This increase can be explained for two reasons: a decrease in the use of condoms and the improvement of screening tools. A survey conducted in 2021 among 2,000 young people (on average 20 years) from the student mutual aid Heyme shows that wearing condoms is really anything but systematic, even during penetration: 26% of respondents do not use it “not always”. , or even “never” when they meet a new partner. Yet it was condom use that eradicated chlamydia and gonococcal infections in the 1980s. another Heyme poll from 2019just under one in two students are screened in the event of a partner change and one in five students never do so.

Sexually transmitted diseases can become dangerous if left untreated

The problem is that if these two STDs are treated with antibiotics when diagnosed early, they can become dangerous if left untreated. These can lead to complications such as genital pain, arthritis, risk of ectopic pregnancy, and can lead to infertility.

However, without screening, it is difficult to realize that you are infected because these STDs are often asymptomatic. The most common, chlamydia, caused by the bacterium “chlamydia trachomatis”, causes no symptoms in more than half of the cases. In 2020, 124,082 cases of chlamydial infection were recorded among people aged 15 and over.

According to some more recent data for the year 2020, one might think that the number of STI infections is decreasing. However, this lull is directly linked to the decline in the number of screenings. According to Public Health France, screening for bacterial sexually transmitted diseases in free information, screening and diagnostic centers decreased by 30% in 2020 compared to 2019. Healthcare workers fear that, after confinement, activity will never resume like before. They therefore fear an avalanche effect. Because those who say late screening, say late diagnosis: an infected person risks transmitting the disease to more people before realizing that she herself is a carrier of an STI.

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