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Contact-tracing outcomes among male syphilis patients in Fulton County, Georgia, 2003.
Sex Transm Dis 2007; 34(7):456-460.
Samoff E, Koumans EH, Katkowsky S, Shouse RL, Markowitz
LE; Fulton County Disease Investigation Working Group.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Contact tracing may be less effective in populations with casual
sex partners such as male syphilis patients who report sex with men; this
opinion is widely held, but few quantitative comparisons are available. GOAL:
The goal of this study was to compare contact-tracing outcomes among male
syphilis patients reporting sex with men (MSM) or with women only (MSWO).
STUDY DESIGN: The authors conducted a record review of cases of early syphilis
among MSM and MSWO comparing contact-tracing outcomes. RESULTS: Interviews
of MSM case-patients resulted in higher mean numbers of contacts named and
located per case than interviews of MSWO. Mean numbers of contacts of MSM
and MSWO diagnosed with syphilis per case were not significantly different.
The mean number of unlocatable sex partners per case was slightly higher for
MSM than MSWO. CONCLUSION: This study comparing contact tracing by the same
trained health department personnel demonstrated that outcomes of contact
tracing were similar for MSM and MSWO.