Gonorrhea cases in Iceland reach highest level in 40 years

Icelandic health authorities reported a sharp rise in gonorrhea infections, with 283 cases diagnosed during the first nine months of the year.

This total represents the highest number of cases recorded in the country in four decades. The figures show a 20 percent increase from last year and a fivefold increase compared to 2021. The infection rate in Iceland currently stands at 72 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, which is more than double the average for Europe.

Public health doctor Guðrún Aspelund noted that the rise might be linked to factors observed in other European countries, such as reduced condom use, changing sexual behaviors, or having more sexual partners. While the disease affects people of all ages, the majority of cases this year occurred in people aged 30 to 44. Men accounted for 88 percent of the new diagnoses, with the largest increase seen among men aged 30 and older.

Although the bacteria can cause serious health issues such as infertility, officials confirmed that no strains of drug-resistant supergonorrhea have been detected in Iceland yet.