Estimates of primary and secondary syphilis rates in persons with HIV in the United States, 2002.
BACKGROUND
In the United States, there is a high rate of HIV coinfection in persons with syphilis.


OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to estimate the rate of primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis in persons living with HIV in the United States in 2002.


METHODS
We approximated the number of new cases of P&S syphilis in HIV-infected persons and divided this by the estimated number of persons living with HIV. Values for the calculations were obtained from national syphilis and HIV/AIDS surveillance reports and other published sources.


RESULTS
We estimated the rate of new cases of P&S syphilis at 186 per 100,000 persons living with HIV in 2002, 25 per 100,000 HIV-infected women, 60 per 100,000 HIV-infected men who have sex with women only, and 336 per 100,000 HIV-infected men who have sex with men. Of the 6862 reported cases of P&S syphilis in 2002, an estimated 1718 (25%) occurred in persons coinfected with HIV.


CONCLUSIONS
The estimated rate of P&S syphilis in persons with HIV is considerably higher than that of the general population. These findings highlight the importance of providing sexually transmitted disease prevention and control services to HIV-infected persons.
Chesson
Harrell W
HW
Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. hbc7@cdc.gov
Heffelfinger
James D
JD
Voigt
Richard F
RF
Collins
Dayne
D
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013587:Syphilis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology