Syphilis Rise Worries Health Workers

Syphilis Rise Worries Health Workers

With syphilis rates rising, officials of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District (MHD) have redoubled efforts to contact partners of those who test positive for the STD. Outreach workers are encouraging safe-sex practices, and they are offering testing and counseling in bars, drug hangouts, and the jail.

"A disturbing trend is that many of our [syphilis] cases we're seeing here and also nationwide are amongst coinfected people - people who are also HIV-positive," said Scott Salo, who oversees outreach programs for the health district. "That's disturbing because they're putting people at risk for HIV as well as syphilis."

In April, CDC reported that most of the nationwide increase in syphilis involves gay men, who made up nearly two-thirds of cases in 2003. The rate of the two most infectious types of syphilis rose by 70 percent between 2001 and 2005. The rate among men is currently six times higher than among women, roughly mirroring statistics from ten years ago.

"The reversal in syphilis trends in recent years is a significant public health concern," said CDC spokesperson Jennifer Ruth, citing the risk of HIV's spread.

In Bexar County, syphilis cases reached their lowest point in 2003, three years after the rest of the country. Between 2003 and 2006, the number of local cases rose from 217 to 438. Syphilis among teenagers doubled between 2004 and 2006, from 19 to 39 cases. In 2006, nine cases were children 14 and younger.

George Perez, an MHD counselor, has been offering behavior-modification sessions teaching safe-sex practices in bars, community centers, and church meeting halls. Recently, San Antonio learned that its $250,000 state grant for HIV prevention will not be renewed, with funds going instead to nonprofit community organizations that do HIV outreach.

San Antonio Express News (06.12.07):: Don Finley

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