The matter in summary: Gonorrhea infection among young women has decreased in 2025, according to figures from the Institute of Public Health (FHI). Increased use of condoms is a possible reason for the decrease in infection. In 2023, a large increase in gonorrhea infection was seen among young women, but the trend now appears to have reversed. FHI reports a slight increase in infections among men this year compared to the previous year. There is an increasing awareness and knowledge of gonorrhea among young people, which can contribute to the decrease in infection. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – I think that people have understood that gonorrhea exists. Condoms have become a bit more fashionable lately, says student at the University of Oslo, Mari Baann. news meets her and Edvard Røgeberg at Frederikkeplassen at Blindern in Oslo. Both believe that young people have become better at using condoms recently. Before the summer, people feared a “gonorrhea explosion”, but it may appear that it will not be as bad as expected. – So far this year, we have seen that the gonorrhea infection, especially among young women, has decreased. That’s according to Anne Olaug Olsen, who is a senior physician at the Department of Infection Control and Vaccines at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI). Recent figures from FHI show that so far this year, there has been a decline in gonorrhea infection among young women. The trend may have reversed. Superintendent Olsen says that in the last ten years there has been a steady increase in gonorrhea cases. – Especially in the group of men who have sex with men. When the pandemic broke out in 2020, development stopped. The measures did not only stop the spread of corona. Gonorrhea infections also fell sharply. But when Norway opened again and shot the numbers into the air. – What was new was that we saw a particularly large increase among young women, says Olsen. Senior doctor at the Department of Infection Control and Vaccines at the Institute of Public Health, Anne Olaug Olsen. Photo: Hallgeir Braastad / news Figures from FHI show that last year more than twice as many young women were infected, compared to the year before. But now the trend seems to have reversed. – Compared to August last year, we are actually 30 per cent below. Olsen emphasizes that we are far from the level we were at before the pandemic. She also believes that total gonorrhea cases this year will be at about the same level as last year. The figures for FHI show that the infection among men has increased slightly this year compared to the previous year. – But it will be interesting to see if this decline among young women continues beyond the autumn. More people use condoms Doctor Trine Aarvold at Sex og Samfunn is also cautiously optimistic. She says that the condom shelves at their clinic in Oslo are emptied more quickly now than before. – I hope that this is the reason for this decline, that people take better care of themselves and each other and use condoms. Doctor Trine Aarvold at Sex and Society is happy that fewer young women are infected with gonorrhea this year. Photo: Helene Hjelseth Holen / news Protecting yourself and your sex partner from gonorrhea infection is not necessarily the most important reason to use a condom, according to Aarvold. – Perhaps the scariest thing about gonorrhea is that it tends to become resistant to the antibiotics we use. For now, it is not a problem here in Norway. Abroad, on the other hand, Aarvold sees people being admitted to hospital and given large amounts of antibiotics to get rid of the venereal disease. – So using a condom is not just something you do to protect yourself anymore. It’s something for us, the community. The condom shelf at the Sex and Society clinic in Oslo is now being emptied more quickly than before. Photo: Bård Nafstad / news – It has become more comfortable to say no Aarvold says that a few years ago there were many people who did not know about gonorrhea. She now feels that young people are taking STDs more seriously. When there is a decline in infection among young women, she believes it is a matter of more people using condoms and testing themselves regularly. – The young people we talk about in Oslo agree that it helps to talk about it, so we just have to continue with that. The students news meets at Blindern in Oslo also believe that talking about the venereal disease helps to reduce the infection. Mari Baann first heard about gonorrhea when she watched Seinfeld two years ago. Both Edvard Røgeberg and Mari Baann believe that more people have learned about gonorrhea in recent years. Photo: Helene Hjelseth Holen / news But after that, several campaigns have appeared around Norwegian cities. – There have probably also been campaigns on the tram and various other things that inform about it. So then I assume that those measures have worked to a certain extent, says Edvard Røgeberg. Baann also believes that women have become better at saying no to unprotected sex. – I cannot say much about men who have sex with men, because I am neither. But perhaps women find it more comfortable to say no. Published 02.10.2024, at 21.01
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The trend may have reversed – fewer women are infected by gonorrhea – Greater Oslo
