title: Incidence and presentation of early syphilis diagnosed in HIV-positive gay men attending a central London outpatients' department.
abstract: We examined the incidence, presentation and sexual behaviour of gay men diagnosed with early syphilis at the Royal Free Hospital HIV department in 2002. A total of 1086 gay men attended and 31 were diagnosed with early syphilis (2.9/100 person years). Twenty-six (84%) of the men were symptomatic and 15 (48%) had documented negative serology within the previous six months. All of the men reported anal intercourse with a new partner in the previous three months. The results support offering regular serological screening to sexually active gay men attending our HIV outpatients' department.
authors.affiliation: Marlborough Department of Sexual Health, Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust, London NW3 2QG, UK. daniel.ivens@rfh.nthames.nhs.uk
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ivens
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patel
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013587:Syphilis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*