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Gonorrhea cases on the rise in Denmark 

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of registered cases increased by 5 percent from 2019-2020

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may have curbed the spread of a number of illnesses, but a certain sexually-transmitted disease is not among them.

According to new figures from the State Serum Institute (SSI), the number of registered  gonorrhea cases increased by 5 percent from 2019 to 2020.

“Despite lockdowns and restrictions, the number of registered gonorrhea cases has continued unabated similarly to previous years. The number continues to rise,” said SSI spokesperson, Susan Cowan.

A total of 3,464 cases were registered by health authorities in 2020, up from 3,303 the year before. 

READ ALSO: One in four young people believe birth control protects against STDs

Gay men leading the way
According to the statistics, men aged 30-39 and women aged 20-24 accounted for most cases. 

And most cases were registered in Copenhagen – 1,031 cases last year – while Bornholm saw only two cases.

Homosexual men accounted for 55 percent of cases and that’s not a coincidence, according to Cowan.

“During the AIDS epidemic in the ‘80s and ‘90s, gonorrhea cases in Denmark plummeted to almost nothing,” said Cowan.

“But after medication was developed to treat people who were HIV positive and people once again started avoiding condoms, it has risen again.”

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