Sexual Health Buzz

In other news from the National STD Prevention Conference, CDC announced that rates of syphilis in the U.S. have risen for the seventh year in a row. While the overall increases in 2007 were primarily among males, and the increase largely reflects continued syphilis increases among men who have sex with men (MSM), rates among women rose as well. Overall, syphilis rates rose 12 percent in 2007, as the number of cases increased from 9,756 in 2006 to 11,181 in 2007. Although CDC indicated that the data is preliminary and subject to change, they remain confident in the overall trends.

After declining through the 1990s, rates of syphilis have been on the rise, increasing 76 percent since 2000. In 2007, overall increases were largely among males, with the rate among men roughly six times higher than that among women. CDC data show that approximately 64 percent of all syphilis cases in 2007 were among MSM. The CDC continues to highly recommend that men who have sex with men get tested annually for such STIs as syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea and to make sure they are tested at the three exposure sites: anal, oral, and/or urethral.

“The resurgence of syphilis among MSM represents a formidable challenge to our STD prevention efforts, but one that is surmountable,” remarked Kevin Fenton, M.D., director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention. “The solution comes down to making STD screening and treatment a central part of medical care for gay and bisexual men, while finding innovative ways to help MSM avoid STD infections – including HIV – in the first place.”