Despite global efforts in prevention and awareness, STIs continue their unstoppable rise, and Spain, particularly the Community of Madrid, is no exception. Data from the Epidemiological Surveillance Network of the Madrid Ministry of Health reveal a worrying trend.
In 2025, chlamydia reached a historic high with 102.12 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, representing approximately one percent of the population, about 70,000 people. Among adolescents and young adults under 20 years of age, the incidence exceeded 44 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, with 68 percent of these cases being women.
Most chlamydia cases, about 70 percent, are of Spanish origin, although an increase is observed in those from Latin America, which now constitute 23.2 percent of diagnoses in those under 20 years. This situation highlights the need for prevention campaigns adapted to diverse populations.
“"Those from Latin America tend to increase."
Gonorrhea also concerns the regional Executive due to its "progressive and sustained growth over the last two decades," with an increase of over one hundred percent between 2022 and 2024. The historical peak was recorded in 2023 with 117.78 cases per 100,000 people, although it has shown a slight decrease in the following two years. Unlike chlamydia, gonorrhea is more prevalent among males, with two-thirds of Spanish origin, and a growing prominence of Latin American origin.
Syphilis, meanwhile, has shown a "growing trend over the last decade," although it has stabilized and even experienced a slight decrease in the last two years. In 2025, the incidence rate was 2.25 cases per 100 inhabitants. Syphilis rates are significantly lower among those under 20 years compared to gonorrhea or chlamydia, although one-third of cases in this group also come from Latin America.
In contrast, the HIV infection rate in the region has decreased considerably over the last decade, maintaining a stable trend in recent years. Between 2021 and 2025, 3,372 cases were diagnosed in the region, mainly among homosexual men, with 49 cases in those under 20 years.
The Community of Madrid's prevention network attended to 13,480 people in 2025, an 8.3 percent increase compared to 2024. 21,982 rapid tests were performed, including 11,801 for HIV, 7,418 for syphilis, and 2,763 for hepatitis C. The 23 percent increase in HIV and syphilis tests in Sexual Health and Rapid Testing Services is attributed to the implementation of the self-appointment service and the opening of new facilities.
The Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) has proposed a decalogue for the prevention and treatment of STIs, highlighting the importance of comprehensive sex education from childhood, training healthcare professionals, confidentiality in accessing health services, and free access to condoms. Vaccination, screenings in sexually active adolescents, and reducing the stigma associated with STIs are also emphasized.
Pediatricians warn that epidemiological surveillance systems in Europe have also shown a notable increase in STIs, with increases of 31 and 13 percent in gonorrhea and syphilis, respectively, between 2022 and 2023. The incidence of gonorrhea in Spain has almost tripled in the last five years, and chlamydia maintains a growing incidence, especially among young people. Doctor María Luisa Navarro, a pediatrician at the Gregorio Marañón University General Hospital, emphasizes that these figures may be underestimated due to the underdiagnosis of asymptomatic cases.
