Surveillance of STIs in Ireland - 2025

New data published by the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSE-HPSC), shows an 8% decrease in sexually transmitted infection (STI) notification rate in 2025 compared with 2024. The reduction is driven by notable decreases in chlamydia and gonorrhoea notifications.

Despite the declines in some STIs, cases remain high and young people (aged 15 to 24 years), and gay bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) continue to be significantly impacted.

There are steps that everyone can take to look after their sexual health, reducing the risk of contracting STIs, via condom use, and reducing further spread by testing promptly, getting appropriate treatment and informing partners so they can be tested too. Testing in Ireland is free and available by home testing or visiting a public sexual health service.

Though STIs are usually easily treatable, some STIs can cause serious health issues such as infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease. Many people are unaware that they have an STI as they are often asymptomatic.

Background

STIs present a significant Public Health challenge with over 1 million STIs acquired globally every day. With the introduction of World Health Organization (WHO) targets for STIs in July 2022, there is renewed focus on STIs. The WHO has published Global Health Sector Strategies on, respectively, HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections for the period 2022-2030 (GHSS). Agreed by the World Health Assembly in May 2022, the new strategies propose a common vision to end the epidemics of STIs, HIV and viral hepatitis by 2030.

Key Points

Overall STI notification rates in 2025:

• Decreased for a second consecutive year by a further by 8% compared to 2024 (from 400 to 367 per 100,000 population)
• Remain 21% higher than pre-pandemic year 2019 (up from 304 to 367 per 100,000 population)
• Decrease driven by notable decreases in chlamydia (10%) and gonorrhoea (11%) notifications
• Most notified STIs in 2025 were chlamydia (n=10,337) and gonorrhoea (n=5,325)
• The HSE home testing service accounted for 47% of chlamydia and 27% of gonorrhoea notifications in 2025
• Young people (aged 15 to 24 years), and gay bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) remain the groups most affected by STIs

STIs in Young People (aged 15-24 years)

• 33% of all STIs notified in 2025 were in young people
• Overall STIs in young people decreased by 21% in 2025 compared to 2024 (from 1,246 to 984 per 100,000 population)

Since 2024 in females:

• Chlamydia notification rates in young females reduced by 21% (from 1,126 to 886 per 100,000 population)
• Gonorrhoea notification rates in young females reduced by 50% (from 204 to 101 per 100,000 population

Since 2024 in males:

• Chlamydia notification rates in young males reduced by 19% (from 611 to 492 per 100,000 population)
• Gonorrhoea notification rates in young males reduced by 25% (from 309 to 232 per 100,000 population)

STIs in gbMSM

A marked decrease in the completeness of mode of transmission among notifications in 2025 was observed

• Some STIs disproportionately affect gbMSM. In 2025 (where mode of transmission was known in males), they accounted for: 96% of LGV; 92% of mpox; 91% of early infectious syphilis (EIS); and 90% of gonorrhoea
• Gonorrhoea notifications in men decreased by 5% in 2025 compared to 2024 to 184 per 100,000 population
• EIS notifications in men decreased by 11% in 2025 compared to 2024 to 31 per 100,000 population
• Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) and mpox notification both increased but notification rates remain low at 2.2 per 100,000 and 1.0 per 100,000 population respectively

Mpox

There were 53 confirmed cases in 2025. The notification rate remains low at 1.0 per 100,000 population. An overview of the latest global mpox situation can be found at WHO Global Mpox trends. The latest WHO multi-country outbreak of mpox, external situation report provides details of the Mpox situation globally.

European trends

European trends in STIs can be examined using the ECDC Surveillance Atlas of Infectious Diseases. The latest Annual Epidemiological Reports from ECDC show considerable increases in reported cases of syphilis and gonorrhoea in 2024, relative to 2023.

Public health implications and actions

Although there was a decrease of 8% in STI notifications in 2025, Ireland is not on target to achieve the World Health Organization (WHO) goals of reducing STIs and ending STI epidemics as a public health concern by 2030.

Concerted efforts are needed to continue to reduce the burden of infection. They include:

• Supporting the delivery of appropriately funded and resourced integrated sexual health services that provides a range of care options, from prevention and education to testing and treatment that meet the diverse needs of the population.
• Raising awareness on how to maintain sexual health by supporting educational campaigns to inform the public about the importance of sexual health and how to maintain it. These campaigns should target various demographics, including young people, adults, and at-risk groups including gbMSM, sex workers and people who inject drugs (PWID).
• Supporting the inclusion of comprehensive sexual education programmes into school curriculums to ensure that young people are informed about safe practices from an early age.
• Reducing barriers and addressing any stigma that some may feel about addressing their sexual health needs.
• Ensuring widespread availability of prevention tools such as condoms, access to testing, and partner notification to limit onward transmission of infections.

Testing options

Testing is free and available by home testing or visiting a public sexual health service:

• National HSE free home STI testing service: The HSE free home STI testing service is available to anyone aged 17 or older. To use the service, order a test kit at HSE-sexual health services, return your samples to the laboratory by post, and you will receive your test results by text message or phone call.
• Public Sexual Health Services: All STI testing and treatment in public sexual health services is provided free of charge. A list of public sexual health services is available at HSE-sexual health services

Resources and supports

The HSE has a range of free supports, promoted through the HSE-sexual health services and Man2Man campaign, such as:

• Free condoms: Condoms are the most effective method of preventing most STIs. Condoms and lubricant are available free and can be accessed by anyone from the age of 17 years through postal services or community venues. Further information on how to access free condoms is available HSE-sexual health services
• Resources for gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) are available at man2man.ie