Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1985. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Chicago Tribune (CT) - Wednesday, August 14, 1985, Page: 2
Jon Van, Science writer
"We believe that greater awareness about the danger of AIDS and how it is spread has contributed to safer sexual practices," said Dr. Lonnie Edwards, city health commissioner.
Cases of gonorrhea reported in the city for the first half of 1985 dropped by nearly 18 percent from a comparable period last year. Syphilis cases dropped more than 4 percent. A strain of gonorrhea resistant to treatment with penicillin declined by 42 percent.
The homosexual community has long been a reservoir of sexually transmitted disease, health officials say, and a decline in activity among homosexuals is thought to play the greatest role in the trend.
Dr. K.T. Reddi, medical director of the city's public health bureau, said that as AIDS spreads among heterosexuals, a similar reduction in sexual activity may continue the downward trend for most sexually transmitted diseases.
Reddi and other health officials appeared before the city's library board Tuesday to enlist help in educating the public about acquired immune deficiency syndrome by placing posters and pamphlets in the library system's facilities and establishing an AIDS referral hot line.
Reddi said that based on national and local estimates, it is likely that 30 to 40 percent of homosexual men in the city have been exposed to the HTLV- III virus that is thought to cause AIDS.
Sixteen new AIDS cases were reported in the city during the last month, bringing the total number reported to 213. The total for the state, including the Chicago cases, is 273.
Nine AIDS deaths also were reported in the city during the last month, including 5 of the 16 new cases.
The HTLV-III virus is thought to spread through exchange of body fluids during intimate sexual contact. Most people exposed to the virus don't appear to develop AIDS, which is characterized by the failure of the body's natural immunity system to protect against infection.
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