Sexually Transmitted and Bloodborne Pathogens Infection Rates in PEI

The Chief Public Health Office is mandated by the Public Health Act and the Notifiable Diseases and Conditions and Communicable Diseases Regulations to control certain communicable diseases in PEI.  The Communicable Disease Program contributes to this mandate through policy development, disease surveillance, case follow-up, contact tracing, immunization, education and reporting on STBBI rates.

Sexually Transmitted and Bloodborne Infections

NOTE: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted both the provincial capacity to test for sexually transmitted and bloodborne infections (STBBI) as well as STBBI test-seeking behaviours of individuals.ⁱ   The Chief Public Health Office urges caution when interpreting trends of STBBI infection rates, especially during the years 2020 to 2022.

Number of Diagnosed Cases and 5-year Moving Average Rate per 100,000 Population, PEI 2020-2025.

5-year Moving Average Rate

Rates were not calculated for 5-year rolling case counts less than 10
HIV: Human immunodeficiency virus
LGV: Lymphogranuloma venereum

Chlamydia

PEI – Chlamydia is the most reported sexually transmitted infection in PEI.  In 2025, the rate of chlamydia (5-year average rate of 238.8 cases per 100,000 population) was significantly higher than in the most recent five years prior (from 2020 to 2024).  Chlamydia is often under-diagnosed because the majority of infected individuals are asymptomatic.

Canada – Chlamydia is the most commonly reported sexually transmitted infection in Canada. In 2023, 129,626 cases of chlamydia were reported across the country for a rate of 323.4 cases per 100,000 population.  This rate was an 8.1% increase from the rate reported in 2022. ⁱⁱ

Gonorrhea

PEI –The rate of gonorrhea in PEI has been slowly increasing since 2013.  In 2025, the rate of gonorrhea was 16.4 cases per 100,000 population and this was more than 2.5 times the rate reported in 2013 (5.8 cases per 100,000 population).

Canada – In Canada, gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported STI after chlamydia. Of particular concern is the emergence of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea.  Gonorrhea rates have increased by 129% over the past decade in Canada.  In 2023, 42,066 cases of gonorrhea were reported nationally, corresponding to a rate of 104.9 cases per 100,000 population.ⁱⁱ

Hepatitis C

PEI – In 2014, PEI embarked upon a progressive approach for eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV) that includes encouraging testing for individuals at high risk and providing treatments through the Hepatitis C Drug Program. Since the implementation of the program, HCV rates have been declining and from 2018 to 2023, the rate dropped by 33%.  In 2025, the rate of HCV infections in PEI was 16.4 cases per 100,000 population and this rate was not statistically different from the average rate in the most recent five years prior (i.e., from 2020 to 2024).

Canada - In 2023, 8,118 cases of hepatitis C were reported across the country for a rate of 20.3 cases per 100,000 population. From 2019 to 2023, the national rate dropped by 33.2%.  More recently, from 2022 to 2023, the rate of HCV increased slightly by 3.1%.ⁱⁱ
 

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections are classified as acute or chronic infections. National rates are influenced by variations in which each province distinguishes HBV cases by infection status. In 2023, there were 157 reported acute hepatitis B cases were reported in Canada for a rate of 0.4 cases per 100,000 population.ⁱⁱ National acute hepatitis B rates are low and have plateaued since 2010, with annual case counts remaining under 200.ⁱⁱ Many provinces and territories implemented a universal HBV immunization strategy in the early 1990s aimed at infants and children, and this strategy is attributed with reducing acute HBV infections in this population.  Additional decreases in rates may be achieved through improving immunization strategies for immigrants, refugees, and adopted children from countries without mass HBV vaccination programs.

HIV

PEI – In PEI, we typically see between 0 to 2 local HIV transmissions per year, and many cases of HIV diagnosed in PEI resulted from an exposure that occurred outside of Canada and are not reflective of domestic transmission.  In 2025, the rate of new HIV infection in PEI was 2.2 cases per 100,000 population and this rate was not statistically different from the average rate in the most recent five years prior (i.e., from 2020 to 2024). 

Canada - In 2024, a total of 2,288 new diagnosed cases of HIV were reported which is a 3.3% increase since 2023.  The national rate of new HIV diagnoses for 2024 was 5.5 cases per 100,000 population.^vi

Syphilis (Infectious)

PEI – The rate of infectious syphilis has been increasing in PEI.  In 2024, the rate was 3.7 cases per 100,000 population,  which is similar to the previous year and was not significantly higher than in the most recent five years prior. While the incidence remains comparatively low in PEI compared to rates observed in many other jurisdictions, ongoing and regular monitoring is important to detect further increases.  

Canada - An increasing trend has been observed nationally. In 2023, the rate was 30.5 cases per 100,000 population and this rate was 77% higher than the rate in 2018. Rapidly rising rates among reproductive-aged females have led to an increase in the number of reported cases of babies born with congenital syphilis in Canada.^viii
 

Notes:

Reported rates are five-year centred moving averages. A five-year centred moving average for a specific year is the average of the data from the two years prior to that year, the specific year, and two years after that year. Moving averages are used to smooth the fluctuations in rates in order to make trends more apparent and to aggregate data with small cell counts. As a result of the methodology, the rates for the last two years of the study period (i.e. 2024 and 2025) are based on less than five years of data and are more heavily influenced by the historical data.

References

ⁱ Public Health Agency of Canada. Survey of the impact of COVID-19 on the ability to provide STBBI prevention, testing and treatment including harm reduction services in Canada. Public Health Agency of Canada. 2021.
ⁱⁱ Public Health Agency of Canada. Sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections surveillance data dashboard. Ottawa: Public Health Agency of Canada, June 2026. Available from: https://health-infobase.canada.ca/stbbi/surveillance/
^vi Public Health Agency of Canada.  HIV in Canada: 2024 surveillance highlights. Ottawa: Public Health Agency of Canada, April 2026.
^viii Public Health Agency of Canada. Infectious syphilis and congenital syphilis in Canada, 2023. Canada Communicable Disease Report, Volume 51-2/3, February 2025.