PRNewswire - November 8, 2005

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest AIDS organization in the US which operates free AIDS treatment clinics in the US, Africa, Central America and Asia, and is the operator of the largest free alternative HIV testing program in the State of California, today expressed concerns about new national STD surveillance data released today which shows a dramatic increase in syphilis cases among men who have sex with men (MSM). According to the report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the national syphilis rate in the United States increased for the fourth consecutive year in 2004. The population of men who have sex with men, which includes gay and bisexual men among others, accounted for 64% of all adult primary and secondary syphilis cases in 2004 -- up from a rate of only 5% in 1999. After more than two years of an aggressive and innovative syphilis prevention campaign sponsored by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and AHF called, "Stop the Sores," Los Angeles fared better than many other large cities nationwide: it was not even among the top ten cities in incidence of syphilis.

"We are alarmed to see the rates of syphilis, a curable STD, skyrocket among the MSM population nationwide, especially as syphilis infection is often a significant co-factor in the transmission of HIV," said Karen Mall, Director of AHF's Prevention and Testing programs. "These numbers should give all those who work in prevention a wake up call to reevaluate STD and HIV prevention and testing efforts and outreach. Our own experience here in Los Angeles over the past few years with Phil the Sore and the "Stop the Sores" campaign shows that a focused, innovative public/private partnership in disease prevention can be effective in educating the public, affecting behavior and bringing down disease rates."

The 'Stop the Sores' social marketing campaign is an innovative syphilis prevention campaign running in greater Los Angeles in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services STD Program, AHF and several other Southern California AIDS service organizations. The social marketing campaign, created by San Francisco-based Better World Advertising, features print ads, posters and billboards in a cartoon style. Television spots use the same character -- Phil, the Sore -- in both animation form and as a live-action figure more akin to theme park or major league sports mascots.

The top cities for syphilis rates among MSM in 2004 were 1) San Francisco 45.9%, 2) Atlanta 36.4%, 3) Baltimore 33.2%, 4) New Orleans 16.4%, 5) St. Louis 14.1%, 6) Detroit 13.5%, 7) Washington, DC 12.2%, 8) Dallas 11.6%, 9) Jersey City 10.8%, and 10) Chicago 9.7%. According to the CDC press release, the "CDC estimates that 19 million STD infections, including HIV and other non-notifiable STDs, occur each year. In addition to their immediate and long-term health consequences, these diseases result in direct medical costs of an estimated $13 billion annually."

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) currently provides more than 15,000 free HIV tests each year through its innovative testing program via testing sites at 3 AHF Out of the Closet thrift store locations throughout Southern California. In addition, AHF offers testing in the L.A. County Jail System, in bathhouses and sex clubs (commercial sex venues) in greater Los Angeles, and on a mobile testing van.

SOURCE AIDS Healthcare Foundation

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