Health
Australian gonorrhoea and syphilis cases surged over 50% in a decade, report says
The Guardian reports that new Kirby Institute data shows steep decade-long sexually transmitted infection increases across Australia, especially among women.
The short version
- Data from UNSW's Kirby Institute shows a 57% increase in gonorrhoea and a 56% rise in infectious syphilis notifications in Australia over 10 years.[The Guardian]
- While men made up the majority of cases in 2025, infectious syphilis rates spiked by 167% among women due to increased heterosexual transmission.[The Guardian]
- The surge among women led to 113 congenital syphilis cases and 40 infant deaths over the decade.[The Guardian]
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians continue to experience disproportionately higher infection rates than non-Indigenous Australians.[The Guardian]
Key facts
- Australian gonorrhoea and infectious syphilis notifications rose by 57% and 56% respectively over 10 years, reaching 42,393 and 5,986 cases in 2025.[The Guardian]
- Men comprised 73% of gonorrhoea and 78% of infectious syphilis notifications in 2025.[The Guardian]
- Syphilis rates increased by 167% in women compared to 39% in men, contributing to 113 congenital syphilis cases and 40 infant deaths over the decade.[The Guardian]
- Indigenous Australians are diagnosed with gonorrhoea at over four times and syphilis at over six times the rates of non-Indigenous Australians.[The Guardian]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.