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Health officials in New York City say new statistics show an increase in syphilis infections among men and women. However, this is a small-scale example of a problem that is happening nationwide, they say.Unsafe-sex practices are being blamed for bringing the disease's old health dangers back to life after a drop in the 1990s. The New York Times reports that 260 cases of syphilis were recorded by the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in the first quarter of this year, including ten cases of female infection. That is more than twice the number for the same period in 2006.Obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Jeff Barrows, who sees virally infected sexually-transmitted disease cases regularly, says syphilis has been primarily tied to the homosexual male population since the 1990s-and he asserts that the increase of cases parallels the increase in the number of homosexual men practicing unsafe sex."They're becoming more and more unsafe in their sexual practices; and as soon as that starts to happen, you start to see a slight bump, an increase, in various sexually transmitted diseases including syphilis," states Barrows. Some health officials attribute this recent flare-up to "condom fatigue," as well as to increased drug use, particularly the use of methamphetamines, citing the alleged connection of "crack" use to a 1990s syphilis outbreak in New York City.Dr. Barrows is also concerned that increasing unsafe-sex practices among homosexuals is translating into unsafe-sex practices among bisexual men, which could explain the rising number of women transacting syphilis since 2005, both citywide and nationally."These infections are breaking out of the homosexual population because apparently there has been an increase in bisexual behavior among these men and this is something that is being reported new across the country," says Barrows. "And unfortunately, women are not doing a good enough job getting the sexual history of the men that they're with."In 1998 syphilis was declared a disease that would be eliminated by 2005, and now officials are concerned that it is back on the rise. Barrows says that fact alone makes it obvious that just education on the dangers of unprotected sexual activity is not making enough of a difference in the sexual practices of heterosexuals or homosexuals.PESTILENCE WATCH:NYC theorizes bisexuality adding to syphilis increase
Health officials in New York City say new statistics show an increase in syphilis infections among men and women. However, this is a small-scale example of a problem that is happening nationwide, they say.Unsafe-sex practices are being blamed for bringing the disease's old health dangers back to life after a drop in the 1990s. The New York Times reports that 260 cases of syphilis were recorded by the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in the first quarter of this year, including ten cases of female infection. That is more than twice the number for the same period in 2006.Obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Jeff Barrows, who sees virally infected sexually-transmitted disease cases regularly, says syphilis has been primarily tied to the homosexual male population since the 1990s-and he asserts that the increase of cases parallels the increase in the number of homosexual men practicing unsafe sex."They're becoming more and more unsafe in their sexual practices; and as soon as that starts to happen, you start to see a slight bump, an increase, in various sexually transmitted diseases including syphilis," states Barrows. Some health officials attribute this recent flare-up to "condom fatigue," as well as to increased drug use, particularly the use of methamphetamines, citing the alleged connection of "crack" use to a 1990s syphilis outbreak in New York City.Dr. Barrows is also concerned that increasing unsafe-sex practices among homosexuals is translating into unsafe-sex practices among bisexual men, which could explain the rising number of women transacting syphilis since 2005, both citywide and nationally."These infections are breaking out of the homosexual population because apparently there has been an increase in bisexual behavior among these men and this is something that is being reported new across the country," says Barrows. "And unfortunately, women are not doing a good enough job getting the sexual history of the men that they're with."In 1998 syphilis was declared a disease that would be eliminated by 2005, and now officials are concerned that it is back on the rise. Barrows says that fact alone makes it obvious that just education on the dangers of unprotected sexual activity is not making enough of a difference in the sexual practices of heterosexuals or homosexuals.
