The increase in syphilis cases seen in New Zealand and around the world is not necessarily linked to growing complacency about safer sex but actually a natural cycle of the disease, according to a new study published in the medical journal Nature. The report, conducted by researchers at Imperial College in London, argues syphilis follows an eight-year to 11-year cycle where the disease naturally peaks. Cases of syphilis have sky rocketed around the world, particularly in gay communities where use of condoms for HIV prevention appeared to have slowed transmission of syphilis and other STDs. But many sexual health educators are concerned that the syphilis increase goes hand in hand with the recent international increase in HIV diagnoses amongst men who have sex with men and are fingering safe-sex fatigue as the probable cause.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Sunday, 30th January 2005 - 12:00pm