Thursday, February 09, 2006

Rare Strain of Chlamydia In "Gay" & "Bisexual" Men

The public health crisis stemming from homosexual behavior continues. A new, hard to diagnose strain of chlamydia is spreading through the community of "men who have sex with men." Keep in mind that some of these men -- "bisexuals"-- then spread these diseases to women. Common strains of chlamydia are known for causing infertility in women. The Associated Press is reporting:

A particularly bad strain of chlamydia not usually seen in this country appears to be slowly spreading among gay and bisexual men, an infection that can increase their chances of getting or spreading the AIDS virus....

[T]his illness is incredibly hard to diagnose: Few U.S. clinics and laboratories can test for it. Painful symptoms can be mistaken for other illnesses, such as irritable bowel syndrome.

And because LGV chlamydia doesn't always cause noticeable symptoms — right away, at least — an unknown number of people may silently harbor and spread it, along with an increased risk of HIV transmission.

"My feeling is that what we're seeing now is still the tip of the iceberg," says Dr. Philippe Chiliade of the Whitman-Walker Clinic in Washington, D.C., which diagnosed its first few cases of LGV last month and is beginning to push for asymptomatic men to be screened....

Chlamydia, caused by bacteria, is among the most common sexually transmitted diseases. As many as 3 million Americans a year may become infected with common strains, best known for causing infertility in women if left untreated.... LGV can infect both sexes, although new cases diagnosed so far are among men having sex with men.