HPSC reports spike in number of sexually transmitted infections

The majority of cases are of chlamydia, with 2,895 infections so far in 2023. File Picture.

There have been more than 5,000 cases of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) reported to the HSE in the first 11 weeks of 2023.

Over 1,000 of the 5,128 cases reported to the Health Protection and Surveillance Centre (HPSC) so far this year have come in the last fortnight.

The overall number is a 70% increase on the first 11 weeks of 2022, with jumps of nearly 180% in the number of cases of gonorrhea year-on-year.

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The HPSC’s weekly infectious diseases report was published on Wednesday and showed that there were 325 new infections recorded from March 12 to March 18. That was down from an increase of 730 cases in the prior seven days — March 5 to March 11.

The majority of cases are of chlamydia, with 2,895 infections so far in 2023, with gonorrhoea (1,489) and genital herpes (342) among the most-viral diseases to date this year.

There have been two cases of monkeypox recorded by the HPSC so far in 2023.

Only two STIs have seen decreases year-on-year so far: lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) which has dropped from five cases at this point in 2022 to three cases in 2023; and trichomoniasis, which has seen 10 cases so far this year compared to 11 cases in 2022.

HSE South (which covers Cork and Kerry) has been responsible for 11.5% of the cases in 2023 so far — with only HSE East (Dublin, Kildare, and Wicklow) having a higher rate.

More men have recorded STIs to the HPSC so far this year than women.

There have been 210 incidents of HIV in 2023 — an increase of 90% on the figures at this stage in 2022.

HIV notifications in the report represent the first time each individual has a positive HIV test in Ireland.

This will include people who have their first positive HIV test ever, and those who are living with HIV, having previously had a positive HIV test outside of Ireland.