In 2014,the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported significant increases in cases of primary and secondary syphilis in the U.S.; among beneficiaries of the Military Health System, monthly surveillance reports tracking reportable medical events of syphilis have reflected similar increases.
This analysis reports on incident cases and rates of syphilis among active component service members of the U.S. Armed Forces from 1 January 2010 through 31 August 2015. During the surveillance period, 2,976 cases of syphilis were diagnosed.
- Crude incidence rates increased from 30.9 cases per 100,000 person-years (p-yrs) in 2010 to 47.4 cases per 100,000 p-yrs in 2015.
- Males accounted for 88.7% of cases.
- Incidence rates of syphilis were highest among service members who
- were black,
- non-Hispanic
- or who were aged 20-29 years.
- About one-quarter of syphilis cases (24.4%; 727 cases) were diagnosed as HIV infected.
- Primary and secondary syphilis cases comprised 42% of all syphilis cases.
- Increasing rates of primary and secondary syphilis in active component service members reflect similar trends reported in the U.S. civilian population.
Below: Estimated percentages of HIV-1-infected service members still in active military service, by time (in years) since diagnoses of HIV-1 infections, by cohorts of active component members diagnosed with HIV-1, U.S. Armed Forces, 1990−2013
Below: Estimated distributions of durations (in years) of active military service after diagnoses of HIV-1 among cohorts of active component members diagnosed with HIV-1, U.S. Armed Forces, 1990−2013
"In summary, the findings of this report
document large increases in the durations
of service after HIV-1 diagnoses among
service members who are motivated to
continue their military careers. In the past
30 years, HIV-1 infection has gone from an
untreatable disease marked by inexorable
clinical progression through extreme debility
to death to a treatable disease that is
compatible with active service throughout
a full career in the U.S. military. As stigmas
associated with HIV-1 infection status and
homosexuality decrease within the military,
it is likely that durations of service after
HIV-1 diagnoses will continue to lengthen."
Via: http://ow.ly/d/3EBB HT https://twitter.com/NCBI
