Minority men see increase in syphilis cases

WASHINGTON — According to reports, syphilis hits minority gay and bisexual men in the US, as the US centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that the rates are not in proportion.

The increase in the disease, which has been on the rise in the U.S. since 2000, raises concerns not only because of syphilis itself, but also because the infection makes people more vulnerable to contracting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

The new study in the Annals of Internal Medicine revealed that minorities, young men and especially those who are gay or bisexual are being majorly hit by syphilis, which can be easily cured with antibiotics during the early stages, though it may not display symptoms initially.

CDC researchers used data from 27 states, as they discovered that between 2005 and 2008, the syphilis rate among Black gay and bisexual men increased eight times faster than their white counterparts.

Lead researcher John Su, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC, said:” The bottom line in prevention among gay and bisexual men is awareness first, you have to know you’re at risk. Then have a frank discussion about it with your healthcare provider.”

Moreover, it’s been reported that there have been changes in the age group majorly affected by syphilis, with teenagers and men in their 20s revealing a huge raise since 2005, compared to ten years ago, when outbreaks of syphilis were solely reported within gay and bisexual men in their 30s.

This article was originally published in the August 8, 2011 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper