New Orleans officials aim to keep syphilis rates down among gay men

Health officials and community leaders in New Orleans met last week to develop syphilis prevention and treatment strategies for local gay men with the double goal of preventing the sexually transmitted disease and to prevent transmissions of HIV, The Times-Picayune reports. Although syphilis cases among gay men are still relatively low, city health officials note that the STD is on the rise in other cities and signals a rise in unprotected sex, which ultimately could boost HIV infection rates. Syphilis infection also can make it up to five times easier to transmit or become infected with HIV because the open sores associated with the disease can serve as portals for HIV to enter and leave the body. New Orleans logged 26 new syphilis cases, about half of which were diagnosed among young gay men.