This first surveillance report from ECDC on sexually transmitted infections (STI) covers the years 1990 to 2009. It aims to describe basic trends and epidemiological features of the five STI under EU surveillance: syphilis, congenital syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia and lymphogranuloma venereum.

This ECDC surveillance report on sexually transmitted infections (STI) in Europe covers 20 years of surveillance data collection and analyses the basic trends and epidemiological features of the five STI under EU surveillance: syphilis, congenital syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia and lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV).

In 2014, 24 541 syphilis cases were reported in 29 EU/EEA Member States (data were not available from Austria and Liechtenstein), an overall rate of 5.1 per 100 000 population. Reported syphilis rates were six times higher in men than in women.

In 2015, 28 701 syphilis cases were reported in 29 EU/EEA Member States (data were not available from Austria and Liechtenstein), at a rate of 6.0 per 100 000 population.

In 2015, 42 congenital syphilis cases were reported in 25 EU/EEA Member States, at a crude rate of1.1 cases per 100 000 live births.

This literature review was conducted as part of a project evaluating the effectiveness of antenatal screening for HIV, hepatitis B, syphilis and rubella susceptibility in EU/EEA Member States.

This publication aims to support the strengthening of antenatal screening programmes for HIV, hepatitis B, syphilis and rubella susceptibility in the general population and in groups identified as vulnerable to mother-to-child-transmission in the EU/EEA.

In 2016, 29 365 syphilis cases were reported in 28 EU/EEA Member States; the incidence rate for 2016 was 6.1 cases per 100 000 population.