Gonorrhea

There have been reports that increases in gonorrhea infections in
homosexual men is associated with an increase in new HIV-1 infections.

Craib et al. (1995) state: "Our findings are consistent with
previous studies reporting an association between HIV infection and
non-ulcerative sexually transmitted diseases. Such a direct association
might be explained by postulating that gonorrhoea results in inflamed
rectal mucosa and compromised epithelial integrity, thereby predisposing
an individual to subsequent HIV infection."

Yet, in New York City, the rate of gonorrhea plummeted subsequent to
1980, while the rates of HIV-1 and HHV-8 new infections were steeply
increasing subsequent to 1980 reaching a peak in 1982 to 1983.

As concerns HIV-1 new infections, this increase and peak were similar to
San Francisco homosexual men (J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol
1997; 16:182-189) and to United States new infections (Stine Gerald J.
(1998). Acquired Immune D...