Gonorrhoea is on the rise in Sweden and in many other European countries. The majority affected are heterosexual men who often get gonorrhoea abroad, especially in Thailand.
The present report describes and evaluates the gonorrhoea trends in Sweden from 2001 to 2008 when an increase of 32% was reported.
Up to 86% of the cases were reported in men, with the highest proportion among heterosexually infected men (41-59% during these years). Heterosexually infected men more often acquired gonorrhoea abroad, especially in Thailand, whereas women and men who have sex with men were more likely to acquire the infection within Sweden.
The recent increase in gonorrhoea cases in Sweden is most likely due to adoption of more risky sexual behaviour (e.g. an increase in the number of sexual partners and the number of new/casual sexual partners and/or low use of condoms) in the Swedish population.
Further research regarding more effective identification and description of sexual transmission chains and sexual networks is needed in order to follow the spread of infection and to recognise more effective interventions to prevent the spread of gonorrhoea and also other sexually transmitted infections.
