Chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections have surged in Australia, leading experts to call for improvements in education and public awareness.
According to a new analysis of data from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS), there was a 24 per cent increase in confirmed chlamydia cases between 2021 and 2023.
Case numbers increased from 66,814 to 82,559.
Gonorrhoea infections increased by 45 per cent in the same period, with case numbers rising to 30,112 in 2023 compared to 20,699 in 2021.
The infections were most common amongst young people, with the 15 to 29 age group accounting for 67 per cent of chlamydia infections and 50 per cent of gonorrhoea infections in 2023.
Microbiologist and Pathology Awareness Australia ambassador, Associate Professor Caitlin Keighley, said the increase in infections, particularly amongst young people, highlighted the need for improved sexual health education in Australia.
She said the latest data had revealed an “urgent and pressing need” for enhanced awareness and testing, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There was a lack of sexual health education that occurred during the pandemic period due to difficulty communicating these messages effectively online,” she said.
“In addition, there was a decrease in GP attendance, which resulted in undiagnosed infections, therefore transmitted, and overall decreased vigilance or concern about contracting an STI.”
What is chlamydia and what are the symptoms?
Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI), and is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis.
According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, chlamydia is asymptomatic in at least 70 per cent of women.
When symptoms are present, they can include painful urination, unusual discharge or bleeding, and pain during or after sexual intercourse.
If left untreated, the infection can reach the fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease and adhesions.
What is gonorrhoea and what are the symptoms?
Gonorrhoea is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and similarly to chlamydia, symptoms are not always present.
When symptomatic, gonorrhoea can present as an abnormal vaginal discharge, pelvic pain or difficulty urinating.
Women with untreated gonorrhoea infection can experience pelvic inflammatory disease and chronic pelvic pain, and, in pregnancy, the infection can cause adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes.
(SBS)
