Sexually transmitted infections in adolescents in Spain: a challenge for pediatricians

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a public health problem worldwide. The Spanish incidence of STIs in adolescents has doubled. We present a multicentre study performed between 2016 and 2022 in Spain that describes the characteristics of STIs among individuals under 19 years. We found 267 STIs in 218 adolescents, with a median age of 17 years. Noticeably, the majority (57.8%) attended an emergency room because of symptoms (67.43%) (mainly vaginal and urethral discharge). Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae were the most common infections, but there were also cases of syphilis, HIV, and human papillomavirus. Moreover, 20 pelvic inflammatory diseases were diagnosed, 27.6% of which were complicated. Our findings underscore the need to improve access to STI screening for asymptomatic adolescents, as they are clearly underrepresented. On the other hand, our description of the demographic characteristics of adolescents with STIs and their clinical presentation can help to reduce diagnostic delays.