Why is syphilis increasing in gay males

The rise in syphilis cases among LGBTQ+ populations, especially gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with men (MSM), is a complex issue. And in July, researchers presented findings at a global HIV conference in Munich of studies in which gay and bisexual men in Canada and female sex workers in Japan were instructed to take milligrams of doxycycline daily.

A study of doxyPEP among cisgender women in Africa failed to show efficacy. In November , the Food and Drug Administration approved the first at-home tests for gonorrhea and chlamydia, which public health experts hope might also help combat the spread of STIs. Raising awareness of pill that can stop spread of HIV The increase in syphilis rates among gay and bisexual men most likely reflects the fact that more men are going to health care providers.

That helped trigger a long decline in condom use among gay and bisexual men in particular. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Why is syphilis on the rise in the U.S. now? 11 – 14 As the epidemic became. Timeline of key events in the syphilis epidemic from to the present.

STIs also spread disproportionately among young people and racial minorities. Search Search. Syphilis poses the greatest threat to newborns, among whom it can cause severe congenital defects and death. Latest Stories U. Such a promising shift was apparently driven in part by nationwide efforts to increase testing among pregnant women.

Initially, this increase was mainly among men who have sex with men. The subsequent approval of the HIV-prevention pill — called pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP — in only hastened the decline. The public health workforce tasked with fighting what has been a long-losing battle against sexually transmitted infections now finds itself confronted with a new, unfamiliar outlook: hope.

DoxyPEP offers a promising form of harm reduction. The protocol is known as doxyPEP , which is short for doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis. Thus far, researchers have found reassuring signs. IE 11 is not supported. Skip to Content. Profile My News Sign Out. Sign In Create your free profile.

Once it was recognised that syphilis and homosexual practices were strongly associated in the s, public health efforts to characterise and address the syphilis epidemic among homosexuals were undertaken. NBC News Logo. Some experts expressed hope that doxycycline use among gay and bisexual men would have a positive spillover effect in women of childbearing age.

There is, however, an ongoing trial in U. Thanks to penicillin, the nation made steady progress in fighting syphilis after World War II. By the mids, public health leaders were entertaining the possibility that the STI could be eliminated. The syphilis rates in the U.S. started going up in and have not stopped.

Julie Dombrowski, a professor of medicine at the University of Washington. MSM, men who have sex with men; CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research is ongoing to address concerns that increased use of doxycycline to prevent STIs might help fuel the burgeoning drug-resistant pathogen crisis.

After having surged to record levels practically every year this century, overall diagnoses of the three top bacterial STIs have crested since the Covid pandemic. Just under half of the top three bacterial STIs were diagnosed among 15 to 24 year olds last year. The CDC followed suit in June.

It is influenced by various factors, including social stigma, lack of access to healthcare, and insufficient sexual health education that is inclusive of LGBTQ+ experiences. So have health departments in other large cities, such as Chicago and New York , where LGBTQ community health centers have begun offering doxycycline to patients.

Sections U. Follow NBC News. Chlamydia remained stable from to , at about 1. Today, we have parallel epidemics in two sexual networks: one in MSM, and one among heterosexuals, which has been linked to drug use.