Syphilis Transmission Rampant Through Internet Hookups
Thu. December 18, 2003 12:00 AM by 365gay.com
San Francisco, CA -
New statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show an increasing association between gay and bisexual men meeting sexual partners online and the spread of syphilis. In just two years, the number of gay or bisexual men in San Francisco who reported meeting sexual partners through the Internet jumped from 12.2% to 37.4%, an increase of more than 200%.
The CDC's Dec. 19 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report says that nearly a half of gay sexual partners are met online. Conversely, only about 20 percent of gay hooks are done in bars. Bathhouses accounted for about 13 percent of pickups, while sex clubs and adult bookstores were the meeting place for about 18 percent.
The Internet is quickly becoming the new "bar scene," enabling strangers to quickly and easily identify potential partners and set-up sexual encounters both at home and while out of town. Just as state and local health officials have reached out to the bars and bathhouses where individuals meet, they now need to reach into cyberspace to alert at-risk populations to the dangers of unprotected sex.
Last year, San Francisco recorded almost 500 new cases of syphilis, the highest rate in a generation. 90 percent of the cases were in gay men.
"The internet has the potential to increase the spread of HIV and STDs, but also has unique characteristics which, if we take advantage of them, can help reduce transmission," said Theresa Raphael, Executive Director of the National Coalition of STD Directors.
"For example, some Internet Service Providers are already encouraging their patrons to disclose their risk behaviors and HIV status to one another by asking them to fill out 'user profiles' for others to see," Raphael said. "These providers have learned that 'don't ask, don't tell,' can have serious health consequences. And if Internet Service Providers continue to ask, more men will tell," she said.
NCSD represents the 65 Directors of public health sexually transmitted disease prevention programs in states, large cities/counties, and territories of the United States, and is dedicated to advocating for effective policies, strategies, and sufficient resources to fight the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
"The way we use the Internet continues to change and expand, which presents new public health challenges that must be addressed," said Raphael. "Yet it also affords us the opportunity to reach the public in a whole new and effective way. The public health community must seize this opportunity to adapt current STD/HIV prevention and control strategies to the Internet, as well as find a way to work with Internet Service Providers to curb the Internet's facilitation of the spread of sexually transmitted diseases."
by Mark Worrall
365Gay.com Newscenter
San Francisco Bureau
©365Gay.com® 2003
The CDC's Dec. 19 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report says that nearly a half of gay sexual partners are met online. Conversely, only about 20 percent of gay hooks are done in bars. Bathhouses accounted for about 13 percent of pickups, while sex clubs and adult bookstores were the meeting place for about 18 percent.
The Internet is quickly becoming the new "bar scene," enabling strangers to quickly and easily identify potential partners and set-up sexual encounters both at home and while out of town. Just as state and local health officials have reached out to the bars and bathhouses where individuals meet, they now need to reach into cyberspace to alert at-risk populations to the dangers of unprotected sex.
Last year, San Francisco recorded almost 500 new cases of syphilis, the highest rate in a generation. 90 percent of the cases were in gay men.
"The internet has the potential to increase the spread of HIV and STDs, but also has unique characteristics which, if we take advantage of them, can help reduce transmission," said Theresa Raphael, Executive Director of the National Coalition of STD Directors.
"For example, some Internet Service Providers are already encouraging their patrons to disclose their risk behaviors and HIV status to one another by asking them to fill out 'user profiles' for others to see," Raphael said. "These providers have learned that 'don't ask, don't tell,' can have serious health consequences. And if Internet Service Providers continue to ask, more men will tell," she said.
NCSD represents the 65 Directors of public health sexually transmitted disease prevention programs in states, large cities/counties, and territories of the United States, and is dedicated to advocating for effective policies, strategies, and sufficient resources to fight the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
"The way we use the Internet continues to change and expand, which presents new public health challenges that must be addressed," said Raphael. "Yet it also affords us the opportunity to reach the public in a whole new and effective way. The public health community must seize this opportunity to adapt current STD/HIV prevention and control strategies to the Internet, as well as find a way to work with Internet Service Providers to curb the Internet's facilitation of the spread of sexually transmitted diseases."
by Mark Worrall
365Gay.com Newscenter
San Francisco Bureau
©365Gay.com® 2003
This article originally appeared on 365gay.com. Republished with permission.