[STD Outbreak News]

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD): Washington State

Seattle & King County has announced guidelines that recommend yearly testing of men who have sex with men (MSM) for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, and HIV in men who previously had negative tests or had not been tested previously. Reported syphilis among King County MSM increased from virtually no cases in the mid-1990s to 58 cases in 2000 and 20 cases to date this year. Public health authorities estimate the annual rate of new syphilis infections to be 160 cases per 100,000 MSM. In comparison, the rate is less than one case each year per 100,000 women and heterosexual men. Rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia in MSM also rose substantially from 1997 to 2000. About 70% of MSM with syphilis and 20% of those with gonorrhea or chlamydia also are infected with HIV. Testing every 3-6 months is advised for men who are at highest risk, such as those with more than one sex partner or anonymous partner, men who use methamphetamine or inhaled nitrites ("poppers"), and those whose sex partners have these risks.

Source: Public Health News, Public Health - Seattle and King County, April 30, 2001

[STD Outbreak News]
[Sexual Health and Sexually Transmitted Infections]