Health News
2006-04-05
Syphilis rates
rise among Chicago’s gay men
Nearly three
quarters of new syphilis cases in Chicago reported in 2005
were among gay men.
Newly diagnosed
cases of primary and secondary syphilis are rising among
gay and bisexual men in the Chicago area, reports the
Windy City Times. The city’s health
department reports that there were 412 cases of
syphilis reported in the city in 2005, a 39% increase
over 2004’s figure. Almost three quarters of the new
cases were among gay and bisexual men, an increase of more
than 50% from 2004’s level. More than half of
the gay and bisexual men diagnosed with syphilis in
2005 were also coinfected with HIV.
William Wong,
medical director of the city health department’s
STD/HIV prevention and care program, told the
Times that he recommends sexually active gay
men be checked for syphilis infection every six months
and sexually active HIV-positive gay men be screened
for the STD every three months. (The Advocate)
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