Syphilis rates continue to rise in Vancouver
August 21, 2014 - Public health officials are renewing their call for men who have sex with men to get tested for syphilis as 2013 figures show the number of cases has surpassed the 2012 rate, which was already the highest in decades.
 "In 2012, syphilis rates in the Lower Mainland
were at their highest in 30 years, and last year they were even higher. In 2013, 561 new cases were reported in B.C. and 86 per cent
of those were diagnosed in Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)," says
Dr. Réka Gustafson, medical health officer with VCH. "We're encouraging men who have sex with men to become
more aware about syphilis, practice safer sex, and to incorporate regular testing into their health care."
An awareness campaign has helped increase testing rates by 20 per cent in 2013 compared to the year before. More than
48,000 men were tested in Vancouver in 2013. A similar campaign was launched this summer to encourage more men to get tested. The
campaign uses trending topics in social media to discuss the rising rates and includes posters and a webpage
at www.checkhimout.ca/syphilis/
"We're grateful to have partnerships with agencies that work directly with gay and bisexual men," says Chris Buchner,
regional director of prevention, VCH. "With help from organizations including Qmunity, YouthCO, Health Initiative for Men (HIM),
Positive Living B.C., family doctors, and the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, we're hoping to engage people with a respectful
and relevant message, and encourage them to test for syphilis regularly."
 Syphilis is a
highly contagious disease spread primarily by sexual activity-whether it's oral, vaginal or anal sex. Just being in close contact with
an infected person's genitals, mouth or rectum is enough to expose a person to infection.
In 2013, the majority of all diagnosed cases in VCH were picked up through blood testing many weeks after people showed
initial symptoms, when the infection became latent with no symptoms. Common early symptoms of syphilis include painless ulcers or
sores resembling bug bites on genitalia, rashes on the palms and soles, fever, swollen lymph glands and weight loss. If left
untreated, these symptoms disappear and syphilis then enters an asymptomatic or latent stage which can eventually lead to
permanent blindness, hearing loss, deep bone pain and neurological problems. Severe cases of the disease can be fatal.
Pregnant women can also pass syphilis to an unborn child resulting in stillbirth, pre-term birth and abnormalities in
the baby.
Syphilis also increases the risk of getting HIV; in fact, there are high rates of syphilis among people who are HIV
positive. In VCH, 69 per cent of all syphilis cases are also HIV positive.
Geoff Ford, a nurse educator with VCH's STOP HIV Outreach Team, says unfortunately, many men return with repeat syphilis
infections. "If you get syphilis, the best way to prevent another infection is to get treated and make sure that all of your recent
sex partners have been tested and treated too," he explains.
VCH recommend that men who are sexually active with other men get tested for syphilis and HIV every three to six
months, and visit their doctor if they have sores, bumps, a rash, blisters or warts on or around their genitals or anal area.
Also, practice safe sex by always using a condom. To locate the nearest testing clinic, access the clinic finder
at www.smartsexresource.com .
VCH is responsible for the delivery of $3.2 billion in community, hospital and residential care to more than one million
people in communities including Richmond, Vancouver, the North Shore, Sunshine Coast, Sea to Sky corridor, Powell River, Bella Bella
and Bella Coola.
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CONTACT:
Tiffany Akins, Communications Leader
Vancouver Coastal Health
Phone: 604-708-5281
Cell: 604-319-7530
tiffany.akins@vch.catiffany.akins@vch.ca
www.vch.ca
"Reproduced with permission - "Vancouver Coastal Health"
Vancouver Coastal Health
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