San Francisco health officials highlight STD trends among MSM demographic

There are more than 60,000 men who have sex with men (MSM) living in San Francisco, and the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among this demographic is on the rise, according to a recent article published by SF Weekly.

The news source explained that MSM accounts for males who are gay, bisexual or have had sex with a person of the same gender at least one time. The city health department recently released an MSM Surveillance Supplement, which addresses the high STD risk among men in this group.

The news provider reported that MSM have a nearly 75 percent increased risk of contracting syphilis, compared to heterosexual men. Although women represent the highest number of new chlamydia infections annually in San Francisco, one in every 43 MSM are affected by the disease, while one in 322 straight men have a chlamydia infection.

Health experts recommend that MSM seek STD testing every three to six months to help reduce the spread of the infections, the news source stated.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are more than 19 million new STD reports each year in the U.S.