The overall rate
of syphilis diagnoses increased in the United States
from 1999 to 2004, but the rise is attributed almost
exclusively to gay and bisexual men, among whom
syphilis infections have dramatically risen,
researchers said this week at the National STD Prevention
Conference in Jacksonville, Fla. Infection rates
actually fell in most other populations during that
time frame, including among women, African-Americans,
and babies born to women infected with the STD. The
overall U.S. syphilis rate rose from 2.4 cases per 100,000
people in 1999 to 2.7 cases per 100,000 people in
2005. But the rate fell by about one third among
African-Americans and by more than half among women during
that time frame.
In 1999 men who
have sex with men represented about 5% of all new
syphilis diagnoses, but that percentage increased to 64% of
all new cases by 2004. More than half of the new
syphilis cases were reported in just 20 counties
across the country, with Los Angeles County at the top of
the list for new cases.
Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention researchers say the rising
syphilis rates among gay men is partly fueled by HIV
complacency. They say that because newer anti-HIV
medications are so effective in controlling HIV
disease, more gay men are engaging in unprotected sex
because they are less worried about serious complications or
even death due to AIDS. The CDC plans to work more
closely with local health departments and
community-based organizations to craft syphilis awareness
and testing campaigns targeting sexually active gay and
bisexual men. (The Advocate)
