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)
