THREE'S COMPANY:

Gays faced with new STD strains (JACOB GOLDSTEIN, 7/05/05, Miami Herald)

In the past five years, without much fanfare, a syphilis epidemic has emerged among gay men in South Florida and around the country.

Nationwide, rates of drug-resistant gonorrhea have risen rapidly in gay men.

And a rare form of chlamydia has spread among gay men in Europe, moved to Canada and New England, and may have made its way to South Florida.

Syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia are all curable, but they can be painful and, if not treated promptly, can cause long-term damage. And having a sexually transmitted disease makes it much easier to contract or transmit HIV.

The rise of these diseases follows the return of high-risk sex in some parts of the gay community -- and an increase in new HIV cases among gay men.

Powerful drugs have transformed HIV from a death sentence into a chronic disease. Crystal methamphetamine, which increases libido and decreases inhibition, has become popular among gay men. Internet chat rooms provide a fast, easy way to meet partners for casual sex.

''On the Internet, you get three for one -- you hook up, you get your [crystal meth] and you get your STD,'' said Manuel Rodriguez, director of the PALS Project, a Fort Lauderdale organization for HIV-positive men.,/blockquote>
It'd be kind of awkward to publicize at a time you're claiming homosexuality is just another lifestyle choice.

Posted by Orrin Judd at July 5, 2005 12:44 PM