Britain comes third in the list of top European countries that sought STI treatment.
SWEDEN has been named as the sexually transmitted infection (STI) hotspot of Europe by a leading online clinic.
Data taken from more than 3,500 consultations for STIs from across Europe by online clinic HealthExpress shows that Sweden sought the most advice for symptoms of STIs.
Following Sweden, Germany was a close second for treatment, with the United Kingdom coming in third. Across Europe, chlamydia has been the STI most people sought treatment for.
Britain comes 3rd in the top 10 European STI league
There has been a significant rise in the number of reported cases of STIs across Europe in the last decade, with Sweden experiencing a 38 per cent rise in chlamydia and gonorrhoea in recent years*.
Experts have said that there could be a reason more Swedes used legal online clinics for treatment across Europe, as it is a legal requirement that they must tell any past sexual partners of their diagnosis if they seek treatment.
Dr Hilary Jones, Medical Adviser at HealthExpress comments: “With the stringent rules in their country, it may be we are seeing a knock on effect of Swedish people seeking treatment for STIs after they have been told by a partner they are infected.
“Although some may view the country’s rules as ‘draconian’, having legislation which protects people from infection could help other countries within the EU dent the rising STI figures.
“There are a number of STIs that can be caught from either unprotected sex or close contact. Some are treatable, such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea, however those caused by viral infections such as genital herpes and genital warts may be difficult to treat or be incurable, and you could suffer symptoms throughout your life.
“Curable, or incurable, all STIs pose a risk to your health and can cause permanent damage or infertility if left untreated, so it is imperative you seek advice if you have been put at risk of infection. It also shows that for those travelling across Europe this year, protection must be used whenever having sex, regardless of where you are.”
The Top 10 STI countries in Europe are:
- Sweden
- Germany
- United Kingdom
- Poland
- France
- Spain
- Italy
- Denmark
- Switzerland
- Austria
* Figures from Swedish Institute of Communicable Disease Control, 2011
Blog article submitted by HealthExpress
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