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  http://www.gayhealth.com/templates/0/news?record=970

  Syphilis Hits Gay and Bisexual Men Hard in Ohio
  by GayHealth Staff

  There have been 124 cases of syphilis reported this year in
  Franklin County, Ohio, and health officials say most cases are
  occurring among men who have sex with men, many of whom are also
  infected with HIV.

  Columbus is one of the cities considered gay-friendly, with a lot
  of men who have sex with men, Jeff Vasiloff, the chief of HIV and
  sexually transmitted disease protection for the Ohio Department of
  Health told The Columbus Dispatch on November 14. Franklin County
  is no different in what we see all over the country.

  The county launched a testing campaign a few years ago, after a
  spike in syphilis cases. This may have something to do with the
  increase in syphilis rates. The more you test, the more disease
  you're going to find, Joni Finley, the coordinator of prevention
  services for the sexual health program at the Columbus Health
  Department told the Dispatch.

  The numbers, however, are very real, James Heffelfinger told the
  newspaper, noting that while rates have decreased among African
  Americans and women, the numbers continue to climb among gay and
  bisexual men.

  Syphilis is passed between partners through direct contact with a
  syphilis sore, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
  Prevention (CDC). Sores are primarily found on the vagina, anus or
  in the rectum, but my also occur on the lips and inside the
  mouth. You can catch syphilis during anal, oral or vaginal sex.
  The primary signs of infection usually include the appearance of a
  single sore called a chancre. If you think you came in contact with
  syphilis, visit a health care provider as soon as possible.

  When people in Ohio are diagnosed, the goal is getting them into
  treatment and getting their partners identified so they can get in
  and get treatment before they even have symptoms, said Vasiloff.

  Updated: Friday, November 19th 2004

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