Tight budgets for sexual health centers behind 8% drop in STI diagnoses
The number of consultations for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at Sexual Health Centers (CSGs) in the Netherlands fell by 8 percent during the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, according to data from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). The decline was most pronounced among women and heterosexual men, while smaller decreases were observed in men who have sex with men (MSM).
The decrease in consultations appears linked to financial constraints faced by CSGs, which have been forced to limit appointments due to rising costs and unchanged funding allocations. This issue has particularly impacted people without higher STI risk factors, such as women and heterosexual men. Meanwhile, high-priority groups, including MSM and individuals in pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care programs, continued to account for the majority of consultations.
Despite the overall decline in consultations, the gonorrhea diagnosis rate remained high. Among heterosexual men, the detection rate was 3.5 percent in the first half of 2024, and among women, it was 4.1 percent. Both figures are double the average rates observed between 2015 and 2021.
In total, 6,822 gonorrhea diagnoses were recorded in this period, with 73 percent occurring among MSM and 18 percent among women. The detection rate for MSM under ASG was 14.5 percent, while it stood at 11.3 percent among MSM in the PrEP program.
Chlamydia and syphilis trends
CSGs reported 10,473 chlamydia diagnoses, with the majority (59 percent) found in women and heterosexual men under 25. The detection rate among women was 16.1 percent, slightly down from 16.8 percent in 2023. Among heterosexual men, the rate dropped from 21 percent in 2023 to 18.9 percent in 2024.
Syphilis cases totaled 835, with 93 percent of diagnoses made in MSM. Detection rates for MSM in ASG were 2.3 percent, compared to 1.6 percent for those in the PrEP program. Gender-diverse individuals accounted for 2.5 percent of diagnoses.
