CDC says STDs on the rise

Chlamydia set another transmission record in 2008, according to newly released CDC statistics.

1.2 million new cases of chlamydia were reported in 2008, up from 1.1 million in 2007. Also on the rise: syphilis, hpv,and HIV. The government estimates there are roughly 19 million new cases of sexually transmitted disease annually.

How much of this data represents men who have sex with men?
Who knows, the CDC says: "With the exception of reported syphilis cases, most nationally notifiable STD surveillance data do not include information on sexual behaviors; therefore, national trends in STDs among MSM in the United States are not currently available."

The report goes on: "Furthermore, testing strategies are often suboptimal for detecting STDs in MSM. Testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia in MSM largely focuses on detecting urethral infections, which are more likely to be symptomatic than pharyngeal or rectal infections."

In other words, infections are more likely to show up in the penis instead of the mouth or anus, which is where first contact is most likely to happen for men who have sex with men. So, testing centers often fail to identify how or from where infected men come into contact with the diseases.

Read the CDC's 2008 Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance report and check out About.com's STD site for details on STD symptoms and prevention.