Increase in syphilis and STD coinfections in HIV-infected individuals in Dresden

Background. In the past few years, increased diagnoses of syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases (STD) have been reported in the cities of the United States and Europe, including Germany. The majority of cases identified were men who have sex with men (MSM). Patients and Methods. A retrospective chart review of 144 HIV-infected patients from Dresden enrolled between 2000 and October 2003 was analyzed for the prevalence of syphilis and other STDs and compared with previous data of 104 patients collected between 1993 and 1999. Results. The seroprevalence of syphilis increased from 13.5% to 17.5%, mainly due to a marked increase of active early syphilis from 0% to 7% of patients, all of whom were MSM. 63% of the patients had clinical or serological signs of other STDs. Conclusion. These data confirm previous reports on the increase of syphilis among MSM. The frequent occurrence of other STDs in HIV-infected patients outlines the need for special STD screening offers and adequate counseling.