Kevin Fenton,
director of the National Center for HIV, STD, and TB
Prevention, says it makes no sense that gay and bisexual men
seeking HIV antibody testing are not offered tests for
other sexually transmitted diseases, reports
Southern Voice. "Why should a gay
man come in for an HIV test and not be tested for gonorrhea
and screened for syphilis?" Fenton asked during
a presentation to a group of Atlanta gay and lesbian
business professionals, according to the publication.
The need to
regularly screen gay men for STDs in addition to HIV is
being driven by rapidly rising rates of infection of such
common diseases as syphilis and gonorrhea--as
well as the emergence of rare STDs like
lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV)--among sexually active
gay and bisexual men. According to Fenton, gay and
bisexual men accounted for about 5% of U.S. syphilis
diagnoses in 1999, but that percentage skyrocketed to 64%
just five years later. And syphilis infection makes it
easier to acquire or spread HIV, health officials
warn. Infection with other STDs, particularly LGV,
also can raise HIV transmission risk. (The Advocate)