Women at risk for STD's from MSM's

Not only should MSM's be concerned but so should women. The New York Times reported that:

In recent years, the disease has been most common in men who have sex with men. But now, health officials say they are concerned about an increase in cases among women in New York, following a trend seen nationally beginning in 2005. After a decade with almost no female cases, health officials said the jump among women was possibly fueled by an increase in the number of men having sex with both men and women.

City health officials said they were receiving more reports of bisexual behavior among men. And Dr. Stuart Berman, an epidemiologist at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that in the last few years, New York men with syphilis had reported engaging in bisexual behavior more often than men with the disease in other cities.

An alarming piece from this article was:

Federal health officials estimate that those infected with syphilis are two to five times more likely to become infected with H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS, because of the open sores caused by syphilis. But doctors said that because syphilis was on the decline until recently — medical providers do not routinely screen for it except in pregnant women — many people do not suspect the sores are a sign of infection.

Women deserve to know if their male partners are engaging in sex with men. I have many gay clients who have sex with married men who are not telling their wives they are involved sexually with other men for fear of being labeled gay, bisexual or having their wives leave them.

My hope is this blog will open some doors for men and women to talk more openly to each other and not put either at risk for STD's.