Homosexuality Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Homosexuality, including details on causes, biology, signs, statistics, trends.

Syphilitic punctate inner retinitis in immunocompetent gay men.

Wickremasinghe S, Ling C, Stawell R, Yeoh J, Hall A, Zamir E

The Ocular Immunology Clinic, The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

PURPOSE: To describe the features of an unusual syphilitic uveitis syndrome in a cluster of homosexual patients. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. PARTICIPANTS: Five consecutive patients diagnosed with syphilitic retinitis in our Melbourne uveitis clinic over a period of 8 months. METHODS: The case notes of patients diagnosed with syphilitic retinitis were reviewed and the clinical features are presented and discussed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Description of retinal findings and documentation of any associated sequelae. RESULTS: All patients were homosexual men. Two were human immunodeficiency virus positive. None of the patients had been previously diagnosed with syphilis, although 3 presented with systemic symptoms and signs of secondary syphilis. All patients had marked anterior uveitis and vitritis. All patients had acute retinal arteriolitis and inner retinitis, with distinctive, inner retinal and preretinal white dots. These retinal findings were remarkably similar in all patients, and resolved with little or no sequelae after standard systemic treatment for syphilis, combined with oral prednisolone. CONCLUSIONS: Syphilitic retinitis may be an increasingly common clinical problem, reflecting the growing incidence of syphilis among homosexual men in Australia. Our patients showed stereotypical ocular and systemic features, which are useful in differentiating this condition clinically from other types of acute posterior uveitis, such as necrotizing viral retinitis. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

Published 2 June 2009 in Ophthalmology, 116(6): 1195-200.
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Articles on Homosexuality published 11 May 2009:

Sociodemographic, sexual, and HIV and other sexually transmitted disease risk profiles of nonhomosexual-identified men who have sex with men.   Am J Public Health, 99(6): 1042-5.

I examined sociodemographic, sexual, and HIV and other sexually transmitted disease risk differences among homosexual- and nonhomosexual-identified men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. Non-Mexican Latino ethnicity, marriage or cohabitation, religiosity, and incarceration history were positively associated with being nonhomosexual identified. Being nonhomosexual identified was associated with some risk (e.g., more sexual intercourse while intoxicated) and protective (e.g., fewer ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

History of childhood sexual abuse and unsafe anal intercourse in a 6-city study of HIV-positive men who have sex with men.   Am J Public Health, 99(6): 1079-86.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed rates of childhood sexual abuse and its demographic and mental health correlates among HIV-positive men who reported unsafe anal intercourse with other men in the past year. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from 593 HIV-positive men who have sex with men enrolled in the Positive Connections intervention. RESULTS: Childhood sexual abuse was reported by 47% of participants; 32% reported frequency as often or sometimes. Men reporting abuse ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Drug use and high-risk sexual behaviors among african american men who have sex with men and men who have sex with women.   Am J Public Health, 99(6): 1062-6.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated covariates related to risky sexual behaviors among young African American men enrolled at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). METHODS: Analyses were based on data gathered from 1837 male freshmen enrolled at 34 HBCUs who participated in the 2001 HBCU Substance Use Survey. The covariates of risky sexual behavior assessed included condom nonuse, engaging in sexual activity with multiple partners, and history of a sexually transmitted disease. RESULTS: ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Public health responses to the HIV epidemic among black men who have sex with men: A qualitative study of US health departments and communities.   Am J Public Health, 99(6): 1013-22.

In the United States, Black men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. Thus, there is a need to understand the challenges facing health departments and community-based organizations responding to the HIV epidemic among this population. We interviewed 71 AIDS program directors, health department staff, and leaders of community-based organizations in 9 states and the District of Columbia. Participants identified psychosocial factors, a lack of capacity-building ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

HIV prevention for black men who have sex with men in the United States.   Am J Public Health, 99(6): 976-80.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has exacted a devastating toll upon Black men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States, and there is a tremendous need to escalate HIV-prevention efforts for this population. The social context in which Black MSM experience the impact of racism and heterosexism strongly affects their risk for HIV infection; thus, HIV-prevention research focused on Black MSM should focus on contextual and structural factors. There is a pronounced lack of community-level ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Homosexuality published 27 April 2009:

Factors associated with event-level stimulant use during sex in a sample of older, low-income men who have sex with men in Los Angeles.   Drug Alcohol Depend, 102(1): 123-9.

Prior research shows that stimulant use is consistently associated with high-risk sexual behavior in samples of men who have sex with men (MSM), but few studies have explored factors associated with use of crack or methamphetamine during sex during specific sexual events among older, very low-income MSM. This study examined stimulant use during the most recent sexual episodes in a sample of primarily older, very low-income MSM (n=779). Although crack use was more prevalent than methamphetamine ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Homosexuality published 20 April 2009:

Seroprevalence and factors associated with herpes simplex virus type 2 among HIV-negative high-risk men who have sex with men from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: a cross-sectional study.   BMC Infect Dis, 9: 39.

BACKGROUND: Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is the leading cause of genital ulcer disease in developing countries, including Brazil, and is especially prevalent among men who have sex with men (MSM). HSV-2 infection represents a risk factor for the acquisition and transmission of other sexually transmitted diseases. The goal of the present cross-sectional study was to estimate HSV-2 seroprevalence and to determine the factors associated with HSV-2 seropositivity in HIV-negative high-risk ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Homosexuality published 27 March 2009:

New evidence of genetic factors influencing sexual orientation in men: female fecundity increase in the maternal line.   Arch Sex Behav, 38(3): 393-9.

There is a long-standing debate on the role of genetic factors influencing homosexuality because the presence of these factors contradicts the Darwinian prediction according to which natural selection should progressively eliminate the factors that reduce individual fecundity and fitness. Recently, however, Camperio Ciani, Corna, and Capiluppi (Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B: Biological Sciences, 271, 2217-2221, 2004), comparing the family trees of homosexuals with ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

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