Gay and bisexual men remain a priority population as data shows sexually transmissible infections (STI) continue to be a significant Australian health issue, with syphilis and gonorrhoea rates remaining high.
Earlier this month, the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney released data about sexually transmitted infections in Australia.
The data showed 94,184 chlamydia and 42,393 gonorrhoea diagnoses and 94,184 chlamydia diagnoses took place in Australia in 2025.
Gonorrhoea and syphilis diagnoses increased by more than 50% over the last decade; chlamydia remains the most common STI in Australia, and 84% of Australians aged 16 to 49 have never been tested for an STI.
“These data are an important reminder that sexually transmissible infections remain a public health issue in Australia,” said Dr Skye McGregor, an epidemiologist at the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney and the report’s lead.
“The rise in syphilis and gonorrhoea tells us we need to ensure testing and treatment are easy to access, and prevention efforts reach the people and communities most affected.”
Source: cdc.gov.au/upsplash“Sexual health is a normal and important part of overall health and wellbeing. Many STIs have no symptoms, but they can be detected and treated easily, which supports both individual and community health.”
“People who are sexually active can prioritise their sexual health by getting tested regularly, seeking treatment early, and talking with their partners and health providers about prevention options.”
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Gay and bi men remain a priority population
Compiling data from a network of sexual health clinics, the Kirby Institute found an increase in STI infections amongst men who have sex with men.
Gay and bisexual men made up 78% and 73% of cases of syphilis and gonorrhoea diagnoses. Syphilis diagnoses have declined by 30% and 37% in HIV-negative and HIV-positive gay and bisexual men, respectively. Chlamydia diagnoses have declined by 31% and 26%, while gonorrhoea diagnoses remained relatively stable over the last decade.
Professor Andrew Grulich, head of the HIV Epidemiology and Prevention Program at the Kirby Institute, said this decline “likely reflects increasing use of doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis – or doxy-PEP – an oral antibiotic that can be taken after a risk event to prevent those STIs”.
“The longer-term trend of increases in STIs over the last two decades likely reflects a mix of factors, including more comprehensive screening and greater awareness and availability of highly effective HIV prevention strategies.”
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Professor Grulich said the recent encouraging declines suggest that prevention efforts are having an impact.
“We know how effective health promotion can be among gay and bisexual men,” he said, “As we have seen with the enormous reductions in HIV. We need to encourage increased targeted uptake of doxy-PEP to further drive down syphilis and chlamydia.”
“People should continue with trusted methods for preventing gonorrhoea infection, such as condoms and regular testing, which they can access via sexual health clinics and community-based testing services.”
First Nations people disproportionately affected by STIs
For First Nations people, chlamydia diagnoses were more than 2.5 times the rate of non-Indigenous rates.
Gonorrhoea was more than four times the rate and syphilis more than six times.
“The gap in STI diagnoses between First Nations and non-Indigenous Australians remains deeply concerning, and in some areas, the disparity is widening,” said Mr Robert Monaghan, Manager of the Yandamanjang First Nations Health Research Program at the Kirby Institute.
“These are not simply statistics. They reflect ongoing inequities in access to culturally safe, trusted and appropriate sexual health services. We know what works. We need sustained investment in services that are accessible to First Nations communities and designed with communities, rather than for communities.”
First Nations-focused point-of-care testing programs can more than double the proportion of people treated and cured of an STI within two days.
Syphilis increased amongst women
While the majority of syphilis diagnoses were among men (78% of diagnoses in 2025), syphilis is increasing at a much higher rate in women.
The data show a 167% increase among women compared to a 39% increase among men over the last decade.
“The rise in infectious syphilis in women is an urgent priority,” said Dr McGregor.
“While syphilis is entirely curable, untreated syphilis during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or infants being born with congenital syphilis, which is when the infection is transmitted to an unborn child. Congenital syphilis is an extremely serious condition for infants that can result in significant lifelong health impacts, and in the most severe cases can be fatal.”
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There were 14 cases of congenital syphilis in 2025. There have been 113 cases of congenital syphilis over the past decade, with 40 resulting in the death of the infant. Syphilis was declared a communicable disease of national significance in 2025.
With timely screening, syphilis can be cured and transmission prevented.
When was your last STI check-up?
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