Syphilis rise in U.S. gay, bisexual men causes worry...

[Squirt]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Syphilis has risen sharply among gay and bisexual men in the United States this decade, driving up the country's rate for the disease and placing these men at higher risk for AIDS, federal health officials say.

Since dropping to the lowest level on record in 2000, the U.S. rate of syphilis, a sexually transmitted bacterial disease, has risen steadily, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said on Friday.

The rate rose five years in a row through 2005, the most recent year for which the CDC had figures.

Gay and bisexual men accounted for 7 percent of syphilis cases in 2000 but more than 60 percent in 2005, CDC experts estimated.

"The most devastating consequence of this increase in syphilis cases would be an increase in the rates of HIV infection," said Dr. Khalil Ghanem of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

"Syphilis and HIV have a close, deadly symbiotic relationship."

CDC epidemiologist Dr. James Heffelfinger said syphilis, like many other sexually transmitted diseases, raises the likelihood of infection by or transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus, which causes AIDS.

Syphilis raises these risks by an estimated two to five times, he said.

Condom use can greatly reduce the risk of getting syphilis, which is readily curable with antibiotics in its early stages but capable of causing severe medical problems and even death if left untreated.

"We are seeing that syphilis is on the rise among a very specific subset of gay men: those who are having a great deal of sex with multiple sex partners," said Joel Ginsberg, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association in San Francisco.

Many are HIV-infected or test positive for HIV for the first time when they learn they have syphilis, he said.

Tremendous progress was made against syphilis in the 1990s. In 1999, the CDC announced an initiative to fully eliminate it from the United States.

After reaching 50,000 cases and a rate of 20.3 cases per 100,000 people in 1990 -- the highest since 1949 -- public health efforts helped drive down the rate to 2.1 per 100,000 people in 2000

But the rate rose to 3 per 100,000 in 2005, with 8,724 cases, the CDC said.

"We're concerned that we're seeing this upturn among men who have sex with men because it could foreshadow bigger increases," CDC epidemiologist Dr. Hillard Weinstock said.

Ghanem of Johns Hopkins faulted the gay and bisexual community, public health leaders and the medical establishment for failing to get across a message of prevention, citing "safe-sex fatigue" after the advent of powerful AIDS drugs in the 1990s.

"Once these wonder drugs came along, patients no longer saw HIV as a death sentence, and clinicians unfortunately became more lackadaisical about conveying prevention messages," Ghanem said.

Use of a smokable form of the illegal drug methamphetamine known as "crystal meth" also is associated with unsafe sexual practices linked to syphilis, Ghanem said.

The syphilis rate among men is nearly six times higher than for women. The vast majority of male cases is among gays and bisexuals. SOURCE

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One in every 8 Australians have genital herpes yet I don't see them blaming "straight people" and "methamphetamine" as the cause.

"We are seeing that syphilis is on the rise among a very specific subset of gay men: those who are having a great deal of sex with multiple sex partners," well duh!

This whole methamphetamine gay whore thing is so foreign to me. I don't know anyone like that. Do any of you? Do you agree with this article?

[gaybucks_chip]

From talking to models of ours that have either had their own problems with crystal, or had friends who did, I'm told that the desire to have sex after doing crystal is almost uncontrollable, and that normal responsibility (safer sex) goes out the window.

I remember having also read a study in which the incidence of unsafe sex with an unknown (or barely known) partner are shown to be dramatically higher when one or both partners are high on crystal... substantially higher than on, say, alcohol alone.

In my opinion, one of the worst issues with syphillis is that although easily treated if caught soon after infection, it is similar to Lyme disease in that it is a spirochete bacteria that can burrow and hide, and if not caught quickly, it becomes very difficult to treat, requiring massive IV antibiotics and extensive, long-term treatment that often requires in-hospital administration of the antibiotics. That's one of the reasons we added syphillis to the STI screening we do with our models prior to working with us.

[Squirt]

Imagine a society where we were accepted and valued.

Most in our community that take drugs, or lash out in other ways, do so because they feel rejected by those they love, people they don't even know, etc. etc.

It's a common theme in minority subcultures to turn to addiction or crime because of feelings of worthlessness or rejection. Nothing to lose. We've seen this in the black communities, spanish communities, etc. Promiscuity, drug use, crime and HIV infection, STD's are rampant in these communities as well.

When people feel valued, and cared about, they start caring about themselves, and others.

[gaybucks_chip]

Imagine a society where we were accepted and valued.

Most in our community that take drugs, or lash out in other ways, do so because they feel rejected by those they love, people they don't even know, etc. etc.

I would agree with this. From my experience, the people that get into trouble with addiction (go beyond a little youthful experimentation) are usually the ones who have low self esteem and/or experience rejection, somehow feeling they are more "capable" or "attractive" when they're high. Perhaps also the ones who have stronger self esteem are less likely to try addictive things in the first place.

[procam]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Syphilis has risen sharply among gay and bisexual men in the United States this decade, driving up the country's rate for the disease and placing these men at higher risk for AIDS, federal health officials say.

Since dropping to the lowest level on record in 2000, the U.S. rate of syphilis, a sexually transmitted bacterial disease, has risen steadily, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said on Friday.

The rate rose five years in a row through 2005, the most recent year for which the CDC had figures.

Gay and bisexual men accounted for 7 percent of syphilis cases in 2000 but more than 60 percent in 2005, CDC experts estimated.

"The most devastating consequence of this increase in syphilis cases would be an increase in the rates of HIV infection," said Dr. Khalil Ghanem of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

"Syphilis and HIV have a close, deadly symbiotic relationship."

CDC epidemiologist Dr. James Heffelfinger said syphilis, like many other sexually transmitted diseases, raises the likelihood of infection by or transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus, which causes AIDS.

Syphilis raises these risks by an estimated two to five times, he said.

Condom use can greatly reduce the risk of getting syphilis, which is readily curable with antibiotics in its early stages but capable of causing severe medical problems and even death if left untreated.

"We are seeing that syphilis is on the rise among a very specific subset of gay men: those who are having a great deal of sex with multiple sex partners," said Joel Ginsberg, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association in San Francisco.

Many are HIV-infected or test positive for HIV for the first time when they learn they have syphilis, he said.

Tremendous progress was made against syphilis in the 1990s. In 1999, the CDC announced an initiative to fully eliminate it from the United States.

After reaching 50,000 cases and a rate of 20.3 cases per 100,000 people in 1990 -- the highest since 1949 -- public health efforts helped drive down the rate to 2.1 per 100,000 people in 2000

But the rate rose to 3 per 100,000 in 2005, with 8,724 cases, the CDC said.

"We're concerned that we're seeing this upturn among men who have sex with men because it could foreshadow bigger increases," CDC epidemiologist Dr. Hillard Weinstock said.

Ghanem of Johns Hopkins faulted the gay and bisexual community, public health leaders and the medical establishment for failing to get across a message of prevention, citing "safe-sex fatigue" after the advent of powerful AIDS drugs in the 1990s.

"Once these wonder drugs came along, patients no longer saw HIV as a death sentence, and clinicians unfortunately became more lackadaisical about conveying prevention messages," Ghanem said.

Use of a smokable form of the illegal drug methamphetamine known as "crystal meth" also is associated with unsafe sexual practices linked to syphilis, Ghanem said.

The syphilis rate among men is nearly six times higher than for women. The vast majority of male cases is among gays and bisexuals. SOURCE

-------------------------

One in every 8 Australians have genital herpes yet I don't see them blaming "straight people" and "methamphetamine" as the cause.

"We are seeing that syphilis is on the rise among a very specific subset of gay men: those who are having a great deal of sex with multiple sex partners," well duh!

This whole methamphetamine gay whore thing is so foreign to me. I don't know anyone like that. Do any of you? Do you agree with this article?

From what I have seen in Tampa ~ Phoenix and LosAngeles I totally agree that the article is accurate in its statements I've been out there in the playing field and seen these boys at work/play~ it totally makes sense with what I have seen first hand~ in fact last time I was in LA this guy wanted to hook up with me - when I asked him his hiv status he got really MAD and said we dont discuss shit like that here "bitch" you either want some ass or you dont and he quickly dismissed me ~ Ok I dont bye~~ have fun

I dont think thats a topic I should have to feel awkward asking about in any major city much less get a reaction like that but its happening with alarming frequency.

[Madame0120]

My Son is in Navy Training and when I asked at dinner with his Mates if there were any nice girls in his classes to date, , 5 young sailors said in unison .. Oh hell NO.

Seems when the Navy tested the base, over 35% of the females had some form of an STD. :shock:

I raised a smart young man.
:sunny:

[DEVELISH]

I raised a smart young man.
:sunny:

And quite handsome looking, too

0,02 €urocent

[Madame0120]

And quite handsome looking, too

Aww ty darlin'.

I'm sorta protective of his pics cause he makes gay guys squeel and producers offer jobs. He'd be MORIFIDED and flattered at the same time, and find some cheeky way to say, you are out of your mind.

Anyway we have a promise between us, he and I. He will never, EVER have nakid pics of his Mother pop up on the net, and I won't ever have to worry he'd enter the adult industry.

Lordy I miss that kid! He kept our Home filled with wonderful boys, camped out in his room, eating everything that didn't need preperation, and it was a joy to watch them grow into men.

[DEVELISH]

Oh and Syphilis - been there, done that - the shits into my buttcheeks (both of them) hurt like hell - and I had to have them twice to kill all viri or bacteria...

[Squirt]

Oh and Syphilis - been there, done that - the shits into my buttcheeks (both of them) hurt like hell - and I had to have them twice to kill all viri or bacteria...

What the??