Subject: STD Report: 29% drop of syphilis cases in SF
From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 15:02:11 EDT

[Dear friends,

The proceeding is excerpted from SF health director Dr. Mitch Katz's regular 
report to the SF health commission on September 21.  Hard copies are 
available by calling him at: 415-554-2600.  

As you read the first paragraph on gonorrhea in Katz's report, please keep in 
mind the following explanation from the SF STD annual summary of 1997, page 
7.  This report is available from Jeff Klausner at: 415-554-8450.

"Approximately 42 percent of all [gonorrhea] cases in 1997 were diagnosed at 
City Clinic.  Another 8.6 percent were detected through our screening 
programs.  The number of cases detected in the jails increased from 20 cases 
to 70 cases in 1997; this reflects the increased screening we have done in 
this population."  

(I bet the increase in the rectal and overall gonorrhea caseload for 1998 is 
for the same reason.)

Also, even though Katz stated the 1998 annual STD report was released 
yesterday, no copies of it were available.  I don't know if you should call 
Katz or Klausner for the 1998 summary.  Try asking both of them for it and 
maybe you'll get a copy.

Finally, if we consider the 158 rectal gonorrhea cases for 1998 as gay men, 
out of 1,852 total gonorrhea cases, can we equally consider the other 1,694 
gonorrhea cases as heterosexuals?  Yes, I think so.  Then that means more 
straights than gays are contracting this STD, right?  Well, why isn't the SF 
health department targeting straights with ads featuring walking and ticking 
time-bombs? 

--MP]

Director's Report 
S.F. Health Commission Meeting
September 21, 1999
Presented by Mitchell H. Katz, MD

[snip]

STD Control 

The STD Annual Mobidity Summary was released today.  In 1998 there was a 24 
percent increase in cases of gonorrhea among San Francisco residents from 
1,497 in 1997 to 1,852 in 1998.  This represents a continued increase from 
1996 when there were 1,449 cases but is still much less than previous counts 
in the early 1980's when there were more than 16,000 cases of gonorrhea.  
Cases of rectal gonorrhea continue to increase from 129 case in 1997 to 158 
cases in 1998.

The number of reported chlamydia cases increased by 16 percent from 2,553 in 
1997 to 2,611 in 1998.  Since chlamydia infection is predominantly 
asymptomatic, increases in cases may represent enhanced screening efforts 
among adolescents, family planning clinics and the County jail rather than 
increased transmission.

Syphilis continues to decline with a 29 percent decrease in total cases from 
187 in 1997 to 132 in 1998.  The number of early or recently acquired cases 
declined by 45 percent from 73 in 1997 to 40 in 1998.

San Francisco STD Services is engaged in an effort to eliminate syphilis 
within the County with expanded awareness and screening among high-risk 
populations and increased outbreak control activities.  Data on visits to 
City Clinic, screening programs and community outreach activities will be 
forthcoming in a supplementary report. 

[snip]