Resurgent Syphilis in the United States: Urgent Need to Address an Evolving Epidemic
Authors: Kenneth H. Mayer, Matthew J. Mimiaga
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2011)

Editorials2 August 2011Resurgent Syphilis in the United States: Urgent Need to Address an Evolving EpidemicKenneth H. Mayer, MD and Matthew J. Mimiaga, ScD, MPHKenneth H. Mayer, MDFrom The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, MA 02215. and Matthew J. Mimiaga, ScD, MPHFrom The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, MA 02215.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-155-3-201108020-00009 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Although effective treatment of syphilis has been available for decades, eradication of the disease remains an elusive goal (1). In the latter part of the 20th century, the incidence of syphilis began to decrease, but the epidemic remained significantly entrenched among African American heterosexuals, particularly in urban epicenters and small cities in the South (2). However, over the past decade, public health officials have noticed a disturbing trend of increasing rates of syphilis among men who have sex with men (MSM) (3). The specter raised by these initial reports, that syphilis was resurgent and becoming hyperendemic among MSM, is further ...References1. St Louis ME, Wasserheit JN. Elimination of syphilis in the United States. Science. 1998;281:353-4. [PMID: 9705711] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Nakashima AK, Rolfs RT, Flock ML, Kilmarx P, Greenspan JR. Epidemiology of syphilis in the United States, 1941-1993. Sex Transm Dis. 1996;23:16-23. [PMID: 8801638] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Heffelfinger JD, Swint EB, Berman SM, Weinstock HS. Trends in primary and secondary syphilis among men who have sex with men in the United States. Am J Public Health. 2007;97:1076-83. [PMID: 17463387] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Su JR, Beltrami JF, Zaidi AA, Weinstock HS. 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Menza TW, Hughes JP, Celum CL, Golden MR. Prediction of HIV acquisition among men who have sex with men. Sex Transm Dis. 2009;36:547-55. [PMID: 19707108] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Kenneth H. Mayer, MD; Matthew J. Mimiaga, ScD, MPHAffiliations: From The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, MA 02215.Disclosures: None disclosed. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M11-1386.Corresponding Author: Kenneth H. Mayer, MD, The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, 1340 Boylston Street, 8th Floor, Boston, MA 02215; e-mail, [email protected]org.Current Author Addresses: Drs. Mayer and Mimiaga: The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, 1340 Boylston Street, 8th Floor, Boston, MA 02215. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoPrimary and Secondary Syphilis Among Black and Hispanic Men Who Have Sex With Men: Case Report Data From 27 States John R. Su , John F. Beltrami , Akbar A. Zaidi , and Hillard S. Weinstock Metrics Cited byNeurosyphilisDéjà vu? A Comparison of Syphilis Outbreaks in Houston, TexasSyphilis (Treponema pallidum)NeurosyphilisHigh syphilis but low HIV prevalence rates among pregnant women in New CaledoniaSea-Anemone Toxin ATX-II Elicits A-Fiber-Dependent Pain and Enhances Resurgent and Persistent Sodium Currents in Large Sensory Neurons 2 August 2011Volume 155, Issue 3Page: 192-193KeywordsBehaviorHIVHealth careHealth care providersHispanic peopleHuman sexual behaviorMale male sexual contactPrevention, policy, and public healthSexually transmitted diseasesSyphilis ePublished: 2 August 2011 Issue Published: 2 August 2011 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2011 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...