The rates of sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs) have fallen slightly from 2023 – but are still up from previous years.

Last year marked one of the biggest increases in STIs in Ireland, with rates jumping 30% from 2022.

While this number has since fallen, St James’ Hospital consultant Dr Aisling Loy told The Pat Kenny Show that STIs are still a huge concern.

“We’re slightly down with two infections,” she said.

“The big two that we have [in Ireland] are chlamydia and gonorrhoea, and they’re down about 15% from last year.

“They’re still up from the year before – if we go looking at 2022 compared to 2024, we’re still up about 15%.”

A young man holds a condom. Picture by: Kritchanut Onmang / Alamy Stock Photo

Dr Loy said that STI figures have risen due to people having more sexual partners and less use of condoms and other prevention methods.

“It’s a huge increase to a decade ago,” she said.

“I don’t have the figures to mind of what it was 10 years ago, but if you look at the graphs that the HSE publish, you can see a huge spike about 10 years ago going up.

“A lot of that is that people became more aware of how to test and got access to care – but behaviours have changed definitely over the last 10 years.”

Young women

Dr Loy warned that syphilis in particular can be especially damaging when contracted by pregnant women.

“With young women, if they get it and get pregnant, it’s very harmful to the unborn child,” she said.

“In the last few weeks, I’ve diagnosed two young women in early pregnancy with it.

“It’s very treatable [if it’s caught], and it’s screened for in early pregnancy – but you’d rather get it treated before you get pregnant.”

Dr Loy urged people to get tested before the Christmas season, as STI rates tend to soar over the holidays.

She also encouraged people to carry condoms on them in case they find themselves in need.

Main image: Oral contraceptive, emergency pills, injection.