Warning over falling STI checks as gonorrhoea and syphilis cases grow

The annual report of the Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (RIVM) shows that nearly 147,000 consultations took place at municipal health service (GGD) centres in 2025, an 8% decrease compared with the previous year. However, the figures do not capture everyone seeking STI care, as many people choose to visit their GP. Data on GP consultations for 2025 have not yet been released.

Figures from GGD sexual health clinics show a continued rise in several sexually transmitted infections in 2025. Gonorrhoea diagnoses increased from 13,952 in 2024 to 14,297, while syphilis cases rose from 1,798 to 1,927. The number of new HIV diagnoses also climbed, with 440 people testing positive last year, a 6% increase compared with the previous year.

Trends in chlamydia infections are harder to interpret because testing policies have changed. Under stricter guidelines, people are now generally tested only if they have symptoms themselves or if a partner is experiencing symptoms. As a result, the number of diagnosed cases fell by roughly half, to just under 11,000, making direct comparisons with earlier years less meaningful.

Soa Aids Nederland has expressed concern about the drop in the number of people getting tested for sexually transmitted infections. According to the organisation, a possible explanation is that preventing STIs appears to be becoming less of a priority for some people. “We also see this reflected in declining condom use. That is precisely why investment in education, testing opportunities, and prevention remains important.”

Hanna Bos, a physician at Soa Aids Nederland, points out that sexually transmitted infections can lead to serious complications. “If too few people get tested, more and more people will end up being affected by these infections.”

Bos said the combination of fewer consultations and persistently high diagnosis rates suggests that many people who should be getting tested are not accessing the appropriate healthcare services. Data from the RIVM indicates that the decline in testing was most pronounced among women and heterosexual men.