Norway: Gonorrhea cases continue rise in 2023
Norway: Gonorrhea cases continue rise in 2023
In 2023, the strong increase from 2022 in the number of people reported to be infected with gonorrhea continued. The numbers of people reported infected with syphilis and HIV also increased, while there was a certain decrease in people reported infected with chlamydia compared to 2022, according to a Norwegian Institute of Public Health report.
The report contains data from the surveillance for the sexually transmitted infections gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV), HIV/AIDS and mpox. In addition, it contains data for hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
The sharp increase in reported cases of gonorrhea that was observed in the latter half of 2022 has continued through 2023. The infection increased most among heterosexuals, and especially among women aged 20-24, but still most infections are reported among men who have sex with men.
In 2023, a total of 2,985 people were infected with gonorrhea, compared to 1,857 people in 2022 and 555 people in 2021. In total, there were 1,883 men (versus 1,358 in 2022) and 1,102 women (versus 499 in 2022) who were reported infected. Among the men, 1188 (63%) were infected homosexually (against 74% in 2022).
The danger of the development of multi-resistant gonorrhea bacteria makes it extra important to prevent infection through the use of condoms and a good test offer, especially for young people when changing partners, says Anne Olaug Olsen.
Subscribe to Outbreak News TV on YouTube
Women are particularly vulnerable because gonorrhea can lead to pelvic infection and later infertility and chronic pain, she says.
Concerning the other diseases listed above:
In 2023, 28,159 people were reported infected with chlamydia infections in Norway, 513 per 100,000 inhabitants. This is a decrease from 29,271 in 2022, and roughly on a par with 2019 (28,446), the year before the pandemic.
In 2023, 332 new cases of HIV infection were reported, compared to 245 cases in 2022.
In 2023, a total of 208 cases of syphilis were reported, compared to 192 cases in 2022. After a temporary decrease in 2021, the number of reported cases, both among homosexuals and heterosexuals, is back at the same level as before the pandemic.
The number of reported infected persons with chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C has increased in the last couple of years. This is mainly due to an increasing number of people infected before arriving in Norway, most of whom were born in Ukraine.
There has been a stable, low number of reported cases of chronic hepatitis B among people born in Norway.
However, the trend in new infections of hepatitis C among infected persons in Norway has been downward for several years. Among those born in Norway, injecting drugs is the dominant mode of infection, and in this group there has been a significant decrease in the number of people with chronic hepatitis C.