Increasing trends of syphilis among men who have sex with men in high income countries

Abstract

Background The epidemiology of syphilis, and therefore the population most impacted, differs between countries. Many developed countries have reported an increase in syphilis notifications among men who have sex with men (MSM) over the past decade. Methods: The rates of syphilis notifications between 2000 and 2013 in the 31 countries categorised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as high income were investigated. Data was taken primarily from published national surveillance reports, and a male-to-female ratio substantially greater than two in syphilis notifications was taken as a proxy for the infection being disproportionately diagnosed in MSM. Results: Dat..