STIs are rising worldwide. What should men know?

What is actually rising?

The World Health Organization estimates that more than one million curable sexually transmitted infections — chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and trichomoniasis — are acquired every day worldwide. On top of the sheer volume, surveillance programmes in Europe, the Americas and elsewhere have reported sustained rises in several infections in recent years, with syphilis the most striking example, alongside growing concern about gonorrhoea strains that resist common antibiotics.

The reasons are a familiar modern mixture: more partners met more easily through apps, less consistent condom use (partly because HIV is no longer seen as a death sentence), testing services that many men never think apply to them, and travel reconnecting sexual networks across the world.

Why does this concern men over 40?

Because the rise is not confined to the young. Health agencies in several countries have noted growing STI diagnoses among older adults, and the pattern behind it is easy to recognise: divorce or bereavement, new relationships started in mid-life, dating apps that make meeting partners easy at any age, and the quiet retirement of condoms once pregnancy stops being a worry.

Add two specifics of age. First, almost no one in this group was ever offered sexual-health education that mentioned them. Second, doctors and patients alike often fail to connect a symptom in a 55-year-old with an STI, so diagnosis comes late. Erectile dysfunction treatments, by keeping men sexually active for longer, also extend the years in which protection matters — a good problem, but one that needs acknowledging.

What symptoms do men miss?

The most dangerous symptom is none at all: a large share of chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections in men, and most early HPV and herpes infections, cause nothing a man would notice. Feeling fine tells you nothing about your status — only a test does.

When symptoms do appear, the commonly dismissed ones include burning on urination blamed on "not drinking enough water", discharge noticed only as a stain, a painless genital sore that heals by itself (classic early syphilis — the healing is part of the disease, not the end of it), rashes on the palms or soles, and throat or rectal symptoms after oral or anal sex that never get mentioned to a doctor.

What does sensible protection look like?

• Condoms with new or casual partners, at every age. They sharply reduce the risk of most STIs, though skin-to-skin infections such as herpes and HPV can pass around them — which is why testing still matters.
• A test when circumstances change. New partner, unprotected contact, any symptom, or annually if you have several partners. Testing is quick: typically a urine sample, a blood test and swabs where relevant.
• Vaccination where appropriate. Hepatitis B vaccination is routine in many countries, and HPV vaccination is increasingly offered to males as well as females.
• Telling partners. If you test positive, current and recent partners need to know, or the infection simply circulates back. Clinics can help with anonymous notification where available.
• Finishing treatment properly. Take the full course, abstain as advised, and attend any test-of-cure appointment — particularly for gonorrhoea, where resistance makes confirmation worthwhile.

Are STIs curable?

Most are. Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and trichomoniasis are curable with the right antibiotics, especially when treated early. Herpes and HIV are not curable but are manageable: antiviral treatment controls herpes outbreaks, and modern HIV treatment allows a normal lifespan and, with effective treatment, prevents transmission to partners. HPV usually clears on its own, though some types matter for cancer risk, which is what vaccination addresses.

The real cost is rarely the infection itself; it is the untreated months — the onward transmission, the complications such as epididymitis or infertility, and in the case of syphilis the slow damage of the later stages. Early testing converts almost all of these stories into short ones.

When to see a doctor

See a doctor or a sexual-health clinic promptly for any of the symptoms above, after unprotected sex with a partner whose status you do not know, or simply because you have never been tested and have had new partners. The consultation is routine for the clinician, confidential, and far less awkward than the alternatives. If embarrassment is what is stopping you, our article on why men delay seeing a urologist may help.

Questions men also ask

Which STI symptoms should men not ignore?

Burning when urinating, discharge from the penis, a sore or ulcer on the genitals (painful or painless), a new rash, testicular pain or swelling, and sores or pain around the mouth or rectum after oral or anal sex. A painless sore that heals on its own can still be syphilis — healing does not mean cured.

How often should I be tested?

Test when you change partners, after any unprotected contact with a partner whose status you do not know, when you have symptoms, or at least yearly if you have multiple partners. Testing is usually a urine sample, a blood sample and swabs where relevant.

Do condoms protect against everything?

They greatly reduce the risk of most STIs, including HIV, gonorrhoea and chlamydia, but infections spread by skin contact — such as herpes, syphilis sores and HPV — can transmit from areas a condom does not cover. Condoms plus testing beats either alone.

Sources & further reading

1. WHO Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) — fact sheet (opens in a new tab) (2025) World Health Organization.
2. EAU Guidelines Office EAU Guidelines on Urological Infections (opens in a new tab) (2025) European Association of Urology.
3. NHS website Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (opens in a new tab) (2024) NHS.

This article is general health information. It does not replace an individual medical consultation, examination or diagnosis. Read our editorial policy and medical review policy.