Conference report: 34th IUSTI Europe Congress

Abstract

The 34th IUSTI European Conference was held from the 3rd to the 5th of October 2020. There were presentations on STIs in Europe, many centred on Romania. A full session was devoted to syphilis, including global efforts in syphilis vaccine development. A workshop on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) implementation in Europe reviewed the ‘PrEP gap’ and the East/West divide with an additional presentation on upcoming PrEP technologies. The conference featured symposia from WHO: STIs are still increasing and with no Euro universal surveillance systems. Other symposia focused on health inequalities amongst gender and sexual minorities and the recently published changes in IUSTI guidelines on gonorrhoea, syphilis and Lymphogranuloma Venereum. SARS-CoV-2 was a focus for several plenary sessions and its possibly lasting impact on service delivery. New challenges were discussed, particularly the loss of azithromycin as a useful antimicrobial. The symposia covered latest research and work into genomics of STIs. Whole-genome sequencing has revolutionised infectious disease study, particularly infection transmission and control. There was a debate on whether ‘screening and treatment of bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infection is associated with Antimicrobial Resistance and should be reconsidered’, emphasising limited damage of asymptomatic infection and the possibility of emergence of rapid antibiotic resistance. The conference closed with several IUSTI awards.