Syphilis Rates Rising in Thailand

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fountainhall

Syphilis Rates Rising in Thailand

Post by fountainhall »

I went for my HIV/syphillis test today. Beforehand I had to read and signed two documents. One confirmed that I was aware of the rise in syphillis in Thailand and a reminder that this can be cured if treated early. The document stated that one in five msm in Thailand are thought to be infected with the disease.

Recently the Bangkok Post carried a similar story about the increasing rate of syphilis.
The director-general of the DDC, Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, said the rising rate of syphilis infections reflects the increasing prevalence of unsafe sex practices, which heightens the risk of contracting the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

"Our data shows that 36.9% of new syphilis infections recorded last year were found among those aged between 15 to 24," said Dr Suwanchai . . .

"People are becoming more sexually active at a much younger age, and about 30% of those surveyed by the DDC admitted to not using condoms," he said
PrEP is a valuable medication in the fight against HIV. But it does not protect against other STDs. Nor do condoms help much as the bacteria can be spread through oral contact with infected areas which include the lips and mouth, So testing is important.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... is-upswing
Dodger
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Re: Syphilis Rates Rising in Thailand

Post by Dodger »

fountainhall wrote:
...the bacteria can be spread through oral contact with infected areas which include the lips and mouth, So testing is important.
I hope that means licking the anus is OK...fingers crossed!
fountainhall

Re: Syphilis Rates Rising in Thailand

Post by fountainhall »

Dodger wrote: Mon May 13, 2019 3:14 pmI hope that means licking the anus is OK...fingers crossed!
Sorry Dodger - the answer is it's not OK! This is from the US CDC website -
Syphilis is transmitted from person to person by direct contact with a syphilitic sore, known as a chancre. Chancres can occur on or around the external genitals, in the vagina, around the anus, or in the rectum, or in or around the mouth. Transmission of syphilis can occur during vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
https://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/stdfac ... tailed.htm

Chancres are generally painless and many people do not know they are there if they are on the anus or in the rectum.

There is a page-long article about the recent rise of syphilis in Thailand in today's Bangkok Post.

One interesting fact is that although many of the new cases involving several STDs are in certain younger age groups, those only infected with syphilis include the over 70s.
For syphilis alone, the majority of cases were still those aged 15-24, followed by 25-34, 35-44 and those above 70.
https://m.bangkokpost.com/news/special- ... al-scourge
fountainhall

Re: Syphilis Rates Rising in Thailand

Post by fountainhall »

The World Health Organisation has stated that there are now one million new cases of sexually transmitted infections every day.
That means more than 376 million new cases annually of four infections - chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, and syphilis.

The WHO highlights a lack of progress in stopping the spread of STIs, and says its figures are a "wake-up call".

Experts are particularly concerned about the rise in drug-resistant STIs.

. . . Practising safe sex, particularly through condom use, and better access to testing are both crucial, the WHO says.

In terms of treatment, bacterial STIs can be treated and cured with widely available medications.

But syphilis treatment has been made more difficult because of a shortage in the specific kind of penicillin needed, and there has been an increase in cases of so-called "super-gonorrhoea" which is almost impossible to treat.
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-48542403
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