06/29/2007
Report: Unprotected Gay Sex Driving Syphilis Increases
A troubling report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which watched "49 HIV-infected gay and bisexual men who had 'symptomatic early neurosyphilis'" and found that the driving force behind both new regular syphilis infections and neurosyphilis (which can lead to blindness and stroke) is unprotected sex between gay men.
Said Dr. Thomas Peterman of the CDC's Division of STD Prevention: "In some instances, the men involved have the attitude that they do not need safe-sex practices because they already are infected with HIV...There are a number of studies that continue to show that there are some HIV-infected and some uninfected men who have sex with men who continue to have large numbers of (sexual) partners and anonymous sex. This is one of the consequences of that...I think the bigger message is that we need to get control of syphilis. And control of syphilis would require safe-sex behavior, reducing the number of partners, and using condoms with those partners. And for men who have sex with men, it means getting tested for HIV and other STDs at least once a year."
These are the demographics of the CDC's study: "Of the 49 HIV-positive gay and bisexual men with symptomatic early neurosyphilis, 63 percent were non-Hispanic whites, 18 were non-Hispanic blacks and 14 percent were Hispanic. Their average age was 38."
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 8:56 AM EST by Andy in AIDS/HIV, Health, News | Permalink
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Just from prevalence rates, it is clear that gay men are driving the resurgence of syphilis in major cities in the U.S. (and Canada, and Western Europe…). And we should all be very concerned. But if this study is accurately portrayed by Reuters, the science is completely shoddy.
First, let me say the headline above, “Report: Unprotected Gay Sex Driving Syphilis Increase” does not follow from the Reuter article linked to. Reuters says, “The CDC cited the report as further evidence that gay and bisexual men, many also infected with HIV, are the driving force behind increases in U.S. syphilis cases this decade.”
Unprotected sex doesn’t pop up until the next paragraph: “The findings also indicate that these men are engaging in the same risky, unprotected sex that can spread the human immunodeficiency virus, which causes AIDS.” But a connection between resurgent syphilis in gay men and unprotected anal sex is not (and probably cannot be) made.
At least not until the next paragraph, when Peterman makes the very unscientific statement, "These are primarily infections that people are probably getting because they're not using condoms."
Probably?! I don’t know who this Peterman is or how he got a prevention job at the CDC, but "probably" doesn’t cut it.
This whole report glosses over the crucial fact that what is widely considered safer sex where HIV is concerned—avoiding unprotected anal sex—is not sufficiently safe to prevent syphilis. Unlike HIV, syphilis is easily spread through unprotected oral sex.
So unless the 49 HIV+ men (a very small number) involved in this study either had no oral sex or used a condom every time they did, there is no way to definitively link the syphilis cases to unprotected anal sex.
How many gay men do you know who have anal sex exclusively—without any oral contact before the act? And how many gay men do you know who use condoms for oral sex—EVER, let alone always?
I have no doubt unprotected anal sex is playing a role in the resurgence of syphilis among gay men, but this study sheds no light on how significant a factor it is. Given the huge difference between how HIV is spread and how syphilis is spread, the conclusions Peterman comes to don’t make any sense.
Posted by: 24play | Jun 29, 2007 10:49:11 AM
What exactly is neuropathy? I found this article confusing because it didn't explain what neuropathy was.
Posted by: tony the tiger | Jun 29, 2007 11:39:39 AM
Do you mean neurosyphilis? I believe that simply means that the syphilis infection has reached the brain (untreated syphilis eventually does) and is causing symptoms involving the central nervous system.
Posted by: 24play | Jun 29, 2007 11:46:20 AM
What are the symptoms of this thing? Does it manifest itself in some way?
I never get any sex anyway but I only see my doctor once a year.
If I only see my doctor once a year to get tested for everything, and practice safe sex, could I get this from conventional safe sex?
Posted by: tony the tiger | Jun 29, 2007 1:32:49 PM
Howdy, I had syph earlier this year. It started as a sore throat and fever, aches, pains, etc. No one could diagnosis it. My doc was an idiot. He couldn't find out what was wrong with me. I took all kinds of tests. Didn't get better. Couldn't work. Fever every day. Went to a throat specialist, said I had stage 2 throat cancer. Cancer docs couldn't find cancer. Had 2 biopsies on my right tonsil where the infection was located. Spots started appearing on the soles of my feet and palms of my hands. Went to a dermatologist who thought it was syph, got tested and diagnosed. This was 2 months after I started seeking treatment. I lost 2 months of income. I was real sick. It went untreated for so long it went to stage 2 syph. Dermatologist called my doc, he said come over for a penicillin shot. He gave me the shot, said I should feel better soon, told me to come in next week for a blood test. Went home and started feeling real bad. I felt so bad I thought I might die. Was it an adverse reaction to the penicillin? Intense fever and chills, headache, I was afraid to close my eyes. Thought I wouldn't be able to open them again. Found out later some patients, quite a few actually, have this reaction to the injection. It is caused by the massive dying off of the spirocetes. They flood the bloodstream or some shit. After the fact I was talking to another doc who told me that syph is the "great imitator" and that if you "know syphillis, you know medicine" Unfortunately for me, my first Doc did not know syphillis. And guess what, when he did routine blood work when I first went in to get treated for my 'sore throat', I tested positive for syphillis. He said he had thought I had syphillis once, and hence my titre was reflective of an earlier infection. I had never had it in my life, and I have my blood work he ordered from just a few months before which prove it. He fucked up and assumed I had it before. That cost me a lot of pain, suffering ,fear, and loss of income.
This is my story. I'm just putting it out there.
Posted by: kodiak | Jul 2, 2007 4:24:16 AM
shoot all the sick ass bastards queers and damn lizzys then Aids may slow down spreading.
Posted by: bigfoot | Dec 25, 2007 12:29:01 AM