Fewer people were tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at a Sexual Health Centre (SHC) in 2024 than in 2023. People who have a higher risk of STIs can get tested for free at the SHCs. There were a total of 159,252 STI consultations last year, a 7% decrease compared to the year before. The decrease was most significant among women and heterosexual men. The percentage who had an STI (20%) was comparable to 2023. These findings are from the 2024 annual STI overview published by RIVM, which contains an annual trend report on STIs in the Netherlands, including the number of tests and diagnoses for each STI.
GPs
Besides getting tested at an SHC, people in the Netherlands can also be tested for STIs through their GP. In 2023, GPs recorded an estimated total of 345,163 STI-related consultations. This is an increase of 7% compared to 2022 (320,089). The primary care data for 2024 is not yet available.
Chlamydia
There were fewer chlamydia diagnoses in 2024 than in 2023: 20,174 compared to 24,084. The percentage of women with chlamydia dropped from 16.8% in 2023 to 15.3%. The percentage of heterosexual men with chlamydia remained comparable (19.6% in 2023 and 19.2% in 2024). The percentage of positive chlamydia tests among men who have sex with men (MSM) dropped from 10.2% to 9.3%, and among the subset of men who have sex with men and are taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (MSM-PrEP) this percentage dropped from 9.1% to 8.3%.
Gonorrhoea
The number of gonorrhoea diagnoses (13,952) stayed about the same as in 2023 (13,853). The percentage of women with gonorrhoea remained high at 4.2% (similar to 4.1% in 2023), staying at the highest level since measurements began in 2003. The percentage of heterosexual men with gonorrhoea also remained high at 3.7% (compared to 3.5% in 2023). The percentage among MSM rose from 14.1% in 2023 to 15.0% in 2024. Among MSM-PrEP, this percentage remained stable at 11.9% (11.7% in 2023). No antibiotic resistance to the current ‘first choice’ antibiotic for treating gonorrhoea (ceftriaxone) was reported.
Syphilis
There were more syphilis diagnoses in 2024 than in 2023 (1,798 compared to 1,693). The percentage of MSM with syphilis was 2.4%, which is comparable to 2023 (2.3%). Among MSM-PrEP, this percentage remained the same (1.8% in both 2023 and 2024). The number of diagnoses among women and heterosexual men rose to 39 and 59, respectively.
PrEP: medication that prevents HIV
Since August 2019, the SHCs in the Netherlands have been running a pilot project to provide a medication that prevents HIV (known as PrEP) to men who have sex with men (MSM). MSM who visit the SHCs for PrEP-related care are designated as MSM-PrEP. Since August 2024, PrEP has become a standard part of the care offered by the SHCs. During the pilot project, 17,370 people received PrEP-related care. The number of consultations among people in this group was 9% lower in 2024 than in 2023: 29,870 in total.
HIV
In 2024, 1,013 people with HIV were newly registered at the HIV treatment centres, a slight increase from 985 in 2023. 413 of these were newly diagnosed with HIV.
A overview of the key figures is provided in an infographic in the report ‘Sexually transmitted infections in the Netherlands in 2024'.
In view of the trends outlined in the report, RIVM recently issued an advisory opinion to the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) to launch a new national campaign promoting condom use and public awareness.