Syphilis - Annual Epidemiological Report for 2019

In 2019, 35 039 confirmed syphilis cases were reported in 29 EU/EEA Member States, with a crude notification rate of 7.4 cases per 100 000 population. Reported syphilis rates were nine times higher in men than in women, peaking in the male age group 25–34-years (31 cases per 100 000 population). The majority (74%) of syphilis cases with information on transmission category were reported in men who have sex with men (MSM). Between 2010 and 2017, the trend in syphilis notifications among men continuously increased, mainly due to an increase in the number of cases among MSM, however this increase seems to have slowed down in 2018 and 2019. During the same period there were very small fluctuations in syphilis notifications among heterosexuals at EU/EEA level. In 2019, the number of MSM cases with HIV-positive status decreased by 1%, while the number of MSM cases with HIV-negative status increased by 2% compared with 2018.