Key developments in sexual health in the Netherlands over the past few months.
The regional GGD sees condom use declining and STI diagnoses rising — the same trend RIVM reports nationally. It points young people to the free, anonymous Sense clinics for under-25s in Alkmaar, Den Helder and Hoorn. If you fall outside the GGD target groups, your GP or a trusted (home) test provider remains the route to take.
Source: GGD Hollands Noorden (via Wieringer Nieuws)
The Foundation for Pharmaceutical Statistics reports that public pharmacies dispensed PrEP almost 22,000 times in the first six months of 2026 — a further rise. Prescriptions come roughly half from GGD physicians and 46% from GPs, yet 90% of dispensings run through just 10% of pharmacies. PrEP users should also test regularly for HIV and other STIs — so demand for accessible check-ups grows along with it.
Source: SFK — stijging aantal PrEP-verstrekkingen
From 26 to 31 July, researchers, clinicians and communities gather in Rio de Janeiro (and online) for the 26th International AIDS Conference. Long-acting prevention takes centre stage — such as the twice-yearly lenacapavir injection — alongside treatment and cure research. For the Netherlands the question remains if and when the prevention injection will be reimbursed; until then the daily PrEP pill remains the standard here.
Source: IAS — AIDS 2026
The multidisciplinary STI guideline received a revised mpox module at the end of June, and on 2 July the LCI guideline was updated as well. New submodules cover treatment, pain management and follow-up — mpox care centres on relieving (sometimes severe) pain and treating complications. Vaccination remains available for risk groups via the GGD.
Source: RIVM — LCI-richtlijn Mpox
Expertise centre Rutgers and Aidsfonds – Soa Aids Nederland completed a governance merger on 1 July; the legal merger follows on 1 January 2027. Under the joint leadership of Marieke van der Plas and Mark Vermeulen, a single point of contact emerges for sexual health knowledge, education and policy. The organisations aim to tackle misinformation and health inequalities more effectively and to reach young people and vulnerable groups better.
Source: Aidsfonds — fusiebericht
RIVM counted 146,982 consultations at the Sexual Health Centres in 2025 — 8% fewer than in 2024 and below pre-COVID levels for the first time. Diagnoses nevertheless rose: gonorrhoea +2.5%, syphilis +7.2% and HIV +6%, with the positivity rate climbing to 17%. Fewer tests, more findings. Soa Aids Nederland calls the combination worrying and argues for more accessible testing via the GGD, your GP or a trusted provider.
Source: RIVM — SOA-jaarrapport 2025
RIVM’s annual report on 2025 contains a worrying first: for the first time a gonorrhoea infection resistant to ceftriaxone — the first-choice antibiotic, given as an injection — was found in the Netherlands. The patient was ultimately still treated successfully. Such strains are surfacing worldwide; prompt testing when you have symptoms and completing treatment become all the more important.
Source: RIVM — SOA-jaarrapport 2025
Using a case study, Soa Aids Nederland shows how flexible, person-centred PrEP care keeps vulnerable users engaged. Up to 30% of PrEP users in the Netherlands drop out of care, while PrEP only protects well as long as guidance and check-ups continue. The lesson for providers: deviating from protocol — a phone consult, a flexible check-up — can beat the standard route.
Source: Soa Aids Nederland — maatwerk bij PrEP
In early June SAM went live: Sense.info’s AI assistant. SAM supports young people at the start of a new (sexual) relationship and points them to reliable information about STIs, condom use and testing. The chatbot is deliberately task-focused — not a free-form AI like ChatGPT — so its answers stay reliable. The first version targets heterosexual youth and condom use.
Source: Soa Aids Nederland — eHealth
Soa Aids Nederland highlights CBS figures: 14% of men around their twenties had unprotected sex with a casual partner in the past year, versus 8% of women — yet only 6% of young men got tested, against 13% of women. It calls the combination of unprotected sex and low testing rates alarming, and argues for targeted condom promotion and low-threshold testing via the GP, GGD or a trusted provider.
Source: Soa Aids Nederland — jonge mannen
On 21 May, ECDC released annual epidemiological reports for gonorrhoea, syphilis, congenital syphilis and lymphogranuloma venereum. The figures confirm what Dutch sexual health centres are already seeing: a sustained rise, especially among MSM. Soa Aids Nederland reiterates its advice: when in doubt, test via the GGD, your GP or a certified provider.
Source: ECDC — sexually transmitted infections
The new guide explains the Dutch STI care system in seven languages, aimed at expats, asylum seekers and international students who are unfamiliar with the GP/GGD route.
Source: Soa Aids Nederland
Hundreds of professionals from the Sense network gather in Utrecht today to discuss the under-25 approach: chat outreach, anonymity, and expanding consultations for trans and non-binary youth.
Source: Sense.info
RIVM is inviting additional cohorts for a catch-up HPV vaccination with the 9-valent vaccine. The National Immunisation Programme has used Gardasil 9 since 2022; the catch-up round targets groups that were not previously fully vaccinated.
Source: RIVM — HPV programme expansion
GGDs and Soa Aids Nederland are partnering this year with festival organisers like Pinkpop, Awakenings and Lowlands. Volunteers will hand out condoms and signpost anonymous testing options.
Source: Soa Aids Nederland
The new government’s coalition agreement explicitly includes sexual and reproductive health and rights. Rutgers and Soa Aids Nederland welcome the shift after years of budget cuts.
Source: Rutgers International
Since structural funding of the PrEP scheme at GGD clinics, the number of users keeps rising. Wait times for a first consult vary widely by region; Soa Aids Nederland suggests considering a private provider as a temporary alternative when waits are long.
Source: Soa Aids Nederland — PrEP
RIVM’s annual report for 2025 again shows a rise in syphilis diagnoses. Soa Aids Nederland attributes the trend partly to limited GGD consultation capacity and is calling for additional investment.
Source: RIVM — more gonorrhoea, syphilis and chlamydia at Dutch STI clinics
Soa Aids Nederland’s youth platform has been refreshed with better chat, short explainer videos, and a “find your GGD” finder. The language level has been lowered to B1.
Source: Sense.info
From April, men who have sex with men automatically receive a hepatitis B test at the Sexual Health Centre, in line with updated RIVM guidance.
Source: GGD Amsterdam — STI test
Stichting HIV Monitoring publishes quarterly figures showing a continued rise in gonorrhoea in Q1 2026. The increase remains stubborn especially among MSM.
Source: Stichting HIV Monitoring
With GGD waiting times persisting, more people are turning to STI home tests. Soa Aids Nederland advises choosing only providers that work with an ISO-certified lab, and confirming any positive result via your GP or GGD.
Source: Soa Aids Nederland — SOA-test