CDC Report Shows Syphilis Cases On the Rise - CME Teaching Brief - MedPage Today
By Katrina Woznicki, MedPage Today Staff Writer
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
November 09, 2005
Also covered by: Forbes, NY Times, USA Today
MedPage Today Action Points
* Inform patients that syphilis is on the rise, and infections appear to be particularly higher in urban areas among men who have sex with men, according to a CDC report.
* Advise patients who are sexually active about the importance of being screened for STDs.
* Discuss with patients the importance of using protection during sex, including oral sex, to prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases.
Review
ATLANTA, Nov. 8 - Syphilis cases rose 8% in America last year, an increase largely attributed to more infections among men who have sex with men, researchers reported here.
It was the fourth consecutive annual increase, coming only five years after syphilis rates hit an all-time low, the CDC reported in Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2004, the agency's yearly snapshot of incidence trends in syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.
Posted by gruwell at November 10, 2005 9:58 AM | TrackBack