Peer Reviewed
Sexual health
Sexually transmitted infection screening guidelines for men who have sex with men
Abstract
Men who have had sex with another man in the previous year should be offered tests for STIs at least once a year.
Key Points
Currently there are epidemics of gonorrhoea, syphilis and chlamydia among men who have sex with men (MSM) living in large cities of developed countries. In Australia, these epidemics are largely confined to Sydney and Melbourne so far, and MSM with HIV infection are over-represented in the notifications.
Both the rate of new HIV infections and the rate of unprotected anal intercourse with casual sexual partners among MSM rose from the end of the 1990s, but have since plateaued. Apart from the increased burden of STI-related disease among MSM, concurrent STIs can increase the risk of HIV transmission, and so STI control is key to improving the health of MSM.
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