California: San Francisco Syphilis Cases Drop Nearly 30 Percent

San Francisco syphilis cases declined by 27 percent, from 346 cases the first half of 2004 to 251 cases so far this year, according to the city's July 22 STD report. Despite a one-month increase in June, this year marked the first decrease since 1998.

Gonorrhea cases increased slightly, to 1,153 compared to 1,059 by June 2004, while rectal cases were stable. Chlamydia cases fell to 1,793 cases this year from 1,885 the first half of 2004, and rectal cases fell from 235 by June 2004 to 214 cases this year.

Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, director of San Francisco's department of STD prevention and control, cited as reasons for the declines more people testing for syphilis; the launch of Magnet, a gay health center in Castro; medical care providers' awareness of the need to screen patients for STDs; increased partner testing and treatment; and Inspot, an online system for informing partners they may have an STD.

Though HIV cases have also recently declined, HIV-positive men accounted for nearly 60 percent of syphilis cases. Gay HIV-positive men may be serosorting, but also eschewing condom use, which can lead to STD transmission, health officials hypothesized. In the meantime, HIV-negative men who comprised the majority of rectal infections at City Clinic are not serosorters, but an unrepresentative higher-risk population, said Klausner.

This month, the city STD branch will launch a new campaign about crystal methamphetamine use and its impact on STDs, how the number of sex partners increases STD risk, and what sexual behaviors entail STD risk.

Next month, CDC and the National Institutes of Health are convening a national conference on the use and abuse of erectile dysfunction drugs and their relation to the spread of STDs.

Back to other news for August 17, 2005