title: Sexually transmitted diseases among men who have sex with men: A retrospective analysis from Suraksha clinic in a tertiary care hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Men who have sex with men (MSMs) are a vulnerable population for spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Apart from being important for HIV transmission, they tend to have a different distribution patterns of STDs. Few Indian studies have looked into this aspect.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We retrospectively analyzed the available data on MSM from Suraksha clinic of a tertiary care hospital in a metropolitan city from 2004 to 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 75 MSM constituting 11.4% of the total 660 patients visited our Suraksha clinic in these 6 years. The clinical and behavioral profile of each patient along with the pattern of STDs was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  75% of the MSMs were promiscuous; one-third of them indulging in only homosexual activities. Syphilis was the most common STD, followed by condyloma acuminata, herpes genitalis, and gonorrhea. On comparing the data on the STD profiles of the heterosexual males, predisposition toward bacterial STDs among MSMs was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Identification of MSMs is important as most of them are bisexual and promiscuous, thereby playing a role in spread of STDs in vast number of partners. The profile of STDs also differs in MSM, which makes it all the more important to identify them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and STD, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Taru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.forename: Ram
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chander
authors.forename: Arpita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: Meenu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barara