M4M has been reporting on the constant uptick in syphilis cases in the U.S., especially amont gay and bi men. There are a lot of reasons why, but the bottom line is that, if you’re sexually active, you need to get tested–even if you don’t have symptoms. If you need to find a place to get tested, go to https://gettested.cdc.gov/ and search by zip code. Most places are free.

From HIV Plus Magazine online (originally from CNN)…

More than 2.5 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were reported in the United States in 2022 as the country’s epidemic of sexually transmitted infections continues to grow.

Chlamydia accounted for about two-thirds of the STIs that were reported in 2022, according to an annual report published Tuesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But while chlamydia cases held steady and reported cases of gonorrhea decreased in 2022, syphilis cases continued to climb to the highest level in decades, with a 17% percent jump in one year.

“Within the STI epidemic, syphilis is one infection that stands alone,” Dr. Laura Bachmann, acting director of the CDC’s Division of STD Prevention, said in a statement. “It has emerged as a unique public health challenge.”

Read the full article on HIVplusMag.com.