Syphilis on the rise: Luxembourg leads EU in cases
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The Luxembourg Ministry of Health, represented by Martine Deprez, has recognised that the country ranks first in the European Union in terms of the number of syphilis cases. This is according to an official response to a parliamentary enquiry by MP Sven Clement.
The surge is explained by a combination of factors. Firstly, Luxembourg has one of the strictest mandatory sexually transmitted infection (STI) reporting systems: laboratories and doctors are obliged to report every case of syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia within a week. In other EU countries, such controls are often voluntary, reducing detection rates and statistics.
Second, according to international studies, changes in sexual behaviour are common, including a decline in condom use and an increase in the number of sexual partners - especially among men who have sex with men. Luxembourg is actively developing prevention testing, which also contributes to the increase in detected cases.
The authorities have announced a new national prevention campaign targeting 15-25 year olds. It will take place in May 2025 together with partners. The aim is to raise awareness and reduce risky behaviour.
Anonymous services are available for testing at Planning Familial, CHL, LNS and CHEM - without a doctor's referral. The country also participates in European Testing Week, which offers free tests.
The ministry assures that antibiotic resistance is so far under control - resistant strains of gonorrhoea are monitored by the national laboratory (LNS) and treatment remains effective in most cases.
However, there is no centralised coordination plan between doctors and hospitals on STIs in the country. Co-operation remains at the level of informal operational communication between laboratories, sanitary inspection and medical structures.
