An increase in syphilis in Australian gay men, particularly in inner Sydney, has prompted ACON to launch a new campaign urging gay men to get tested for the potentially fatal STI.

Approximately 750 diagnoses were made in Australia in the year to March, 2009, with actual numbers thought to be considerably higher and infection rates rising.

The data has led ACON to develop a new campaign to encourage gay men to get tested for the disease, and to notify their partners if they have been infected.

“If left untreated, syphilis can cause irreversible damage to the nerves, bones, skin, eyes and brain,” said ACON CEO Nicolas Parkhill. “It affects the immune system and is also associated with an increased risk of HIV transmission.”

Parkhill added that because syphilis could be asymptomatic, people could be inadvertently passing it on, which he said further reinforced the need for regular testing.

He said gay men should be tested at least twice a year, and could incorporate syphilis testing into regular HIV testing and monitoring.

The syphilis campaign, which bears the tagline ‘Syphilis is spreading – get tested now’, was developed in association with the STIs in Gay Men Action Group (STIGMA) and the National Gay Men’s Syphilis Action Plan.

The campaign is expected to be adopted nationally after being endorsed by the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) and state-based GLBT health agencies.

For information on syphilis and other STI testing, visit www.whytest.org. 

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