Subject: Kaiser: Rectal Gonorrhea Level in SF
From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 11:59:43 EDT

Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report
April 13, 2000
 <A HREF="http://report.kff.org/aidshiv/">Kaiser: Rectal Gonorrhea Level in SF
</A> 

OPINIONMAKERS  
Item 7.  SAN FRANCISCO: Rectal Gonorrhea Among Gay Men Is Leveling Off 
 
      According to the San Francisco Department of Public Health, rectal 
gonorrhea may be stabilizing among San Francisco gay men, asserts 
www.AIDS-Statistics.com Project Director Michael Petrelis, responding to 
recent claims that rectal gonorrhea rates are on the rise in San Francisco. 
The February issue of the health department's San Francisco Monthly STD 
Report found that there were 160 cases of male rectal gonorrhea recorded in 
1999 and 158 cases in 1998. Petrelis points out that in an editorial note 
accompanying the statistics, Charlotte Kent of the San Francisco STD Control 
Branch said, "The total number of reported cases of gonorrhea has declined by 
about 15% since 1998. With only two more cases of rectal gonorrhea reported 
than in 1998, rectal gonorrhea may be leveling in San Francisco." Noting that 
syphilis cases also appeared to be stable between 1998 and 1999, Kent 
concluded, "Overall, the provisional data suggest that STD rates in San 
Francisco were relatively stable in 1999, with no major increases of any 
reportable STD." Petrelis said, "It is a slur upon gay males in San Francisco 
to claim gonorrhea rates for this community are going up, especially since 
epidemiological facts clearly show otherwise" (www.AIDS-Statistics.com 
release, 4/11).  (Back to Contents) 
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