 
March 13, 2008
U.S. Syphilis Cases Rise for Seventh Straight Year
For the seventh year in a row, the number of reported syphilis cases in the United States has gone up, HealthDay/Yahoo News reports (news.yahoo.com). Syphilis infection, if left untreated, can make HIV transmission up to five times more likely.
According to a federal report released this week, the rate of primary and secondary syphilis increased by 12 percent from 2006 to 2007, with the majority of infections reported among men who have sex with men (MSM).
Dr. Hillard Weinstock of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of STD Prevention said that MSMs comprised 64 percent of all reported syphilis cases last year. He said this phenomenon may be linked to increased HIV infection among this group.
“For individuals already infected with HIV, syphilis can increase viral load, which can accelerate HIV disease progression and the potential for HIV transmission,” said Weinstock.
The study also revealed that syphilis rates among African Americans have increased for the fourth year in a row, rising 22 percent in the last year.
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