Canadian agency reports 22 cases of rare STD among gay men

The Public Health Agency of Canada reports identifying 22 cases of the rare sexually transmitted disease lymphogranuloma venereum among gay and bisexual men in the country during the last 17 months, the Canadian Press reports. Nearly all of the gay men infected with the STD, a rare form of chlamydia, were in their 20s or 30s, and most reported having unprotected anal sex. Nearly 75% of the men also were coinfected with HIV, and about 25% also had hepatitis C. Canadian health officials say that until these cases had been diagnosed, there had been no reported cases of LGV in the country for the past 10 years. LGV is most commonly transmitted through unprotected anal sex. The STD is treatable with antibiotics but can cause severe genital and rectal swelling and scarring if left untreated. LGV outbreaks among gay and bisexual men have been reported since 2004 in several European countries as well as in New York, Atlanta, Boston, and San Francisco.