All articles tagged with #men who have sex with men
King County Public Health urges vaccinations for mpox, a disease that causes painful skin lesions and is often spread through close skin-to-skin contact and sexual activity. Men who have sex with men and transgender persons who have sex with men are at risk. While vaccinations were offered, not everyone got the recommended two doses. Health officials recommend those at risk to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Health officials are warning of a risk of new mpox outbreaks, primarily among men who have sex with men, as the summer party season is set to start. Although cases have declined sharply since last summer, the virus continues to circulate in New York City. The key public health message remains the same: "Get vaccinated." New York City has had one of the nation's highest vaccination rates among people at greatest risk for getting the disease, but about half of those who have been vaccinated received only one dose of the two-dose vaccine, leaving many vulnerable to infection.
The FDA has finalized a plan to ease restrictions on blood donation by men who have sex with men. The new policy updates risk-based individual questionnaires to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted HIV. The screening questions will still recommend deferral of individuals who report having a new sexual partner and have engaged in anal sex in the past three months. The FDA believes the new policy will not hurt the safety or availability of the nation’s blood supply. Blood donation establishments may now implement the new policy.
Syphilis cases increased by 25% in Minnesota in 2022, primarily among men who have sex with men and pregnant women who passed their infections to newborns. While syphilis is less common than other sexually transmitted diseases, it presents severe risks if untreated, including blindness, stroke, and nervous system damage. The COVID-19 pandemic may be disrupting screening activity, but health officials say STDs continue to be a major concern in Minnesota.
A study funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases found that doxycycline, an oral antibiotic, reduced the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) by two-thirds among men who have sex with men and transgender women who took the medication within 72 hours of having condomless sex. The post-exposure approach, termed doxy-PEP, resulted in a reduction in the incidence of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia among the study participants. However, the research also revealed a slight increase in antibacterial resistance that requires further exploration.