LGV reported among gay men in the United Kingdom

A rare form of chlamydia that has cropped up among gay men in part of Europe and the United States has now been confirmed in 34 gay men in the United Kingdom, the U.K. Daily Mail reports. At least 90 men in the Netherlands have been diagnosed with Lymphogranuloma venereum, or LGV, with cases also reported in Belgium, France, and Sweden. U.S. officials report cases of the STD among gay men in New York City, San Francisco, and Atlanta. LGV, a bacterial STD that can be cured with antibiotic treatment, is transmitted through unprotected anal sex. It can cause flu-like symptoms and gastrointestinal discomfort, but its most common symptoms are large, painful bleeding ulcers in the rectum. If left untreated, LGV can cause genital and rectal scarring. Although some of the men who have contracted LGV are also HIV-positive, health officials say HIV diseases doesn't make one more susceptible to LGV infection. However, they note that the open sores associated with LGV can make it easier to become infected with HIV and other blood-borne diseases. U.K. health officials say that although the 34 cases reported are the first confirmed LGV infections among gay men in the country, they have suspected for several months that the STD was present and spreading among sexually active U.K. gay men