title: 'Gay bowel syndrome': relic or real (and returning) phenomenon?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This article aims to review the term 'gay bowel syndrome', including the recent research looking at increased rates of bowel infections in men who have sex with men (MSM), particularly in light of the recent Shigella outbreaks in MSM in London and New York, and considers whether 'gay bowel syndrome' is a syndrome that really exists and is worthy of further research and specific treatment, or whether the term continues to be obsolete and not useful.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Little or no recent research exists around the concept of a specific syndrome affecting the bowels of MSM. Rather, there seems to be a clustering of diseases in certain high-risk groups, especially those in urban areas with multiple sexual partners, recreational drug use, and possible concomitant HIV infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All healthcare practitioners (including non-sexual health/HIV specialists) need to consider careful and thorough history taking (including sexual history) to identify those at risk.
authors: aChelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust bHomerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors: Farhad
authors: F
authors: Cooper
authors: Tristan
authors: T
authors: Barber
mesh_terms: D001004:Anus Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012002:Rectal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D013577:Syndrome