On the other hand we have this frightening story out of Montreal, which could be a portent of things to come elsewhere in North America:
Gonorrhea comeback raises alarm in Montreal
Aug 07, 2007 04:30 AM
MONTREAL–It is often branded as Canada's sexiest city, but public health officials recently issued a stark reminder that Montreal's carnal side has its perils.
According to new figures, gonorrhea is making a monster comeback in Quebec's largest city.
In Montreal, where roughly three of every four of Quebec's gonorrhea cases were reported in 2006, the numbers have shot up by 65 per cent in the last five years.
Similar trends have been noted in other major cities, but Montreal seems to be setting itself apart.
"Clearly we are seeing a major increase in high-risk sexual behaviour. ... It's quite discouraging. I think we're basically back to where we were in the early 1980s," said Dr. Réjean Thomas, founder of l'Actuel, a Montreal AIDS clinic.
Thomas said the 40 per cent hike in the number of reported cases of gonorrhea in 2006 – the province chalked up 1,299 infections – is an ominous portent.
That's because in Quebec, 30 per cent of those infected can't be treated with regular antibiotics because the gonorrhea strain has become drug-resistant, compared with 7 per cent in 2004.
Sexually transmitted disease researchers also note the correlation between the prevalence of gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis and the incidence of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
"Gonorrhea is nowhere near as serious as HIV, but it is a reflection of sorts, and I think that very soon we're going to see an explosion in the number of HIV and AIDS cases again," Thomas said.
Researchers at Quebec's Institut national de santé publique compiled the data, and noted that "the control of this infection must constitute a public health priority by the mere fact of its prevalence in certain populations and its consequences on fertility."
Gonorrhea is especially prevalent among men aged 20 to 29 and women who are between 15 and 24...
Quebec officials also suggest that the number of cases is likely a conservative estimate of the true picture. In many cases, family doctors don't report cases and routinely prescribe treatment without sending away for lab results.
Thomas added that in recent years he has treated increasingly virulent strains of gonorrhea, and that travel habits and tourism have brought diseases to Montreal that were previously unheard of.
According to l'Actuel's records, the number of syphilis cases it treats topped 400 last year, and will be more than 500 next year.
"To give some perspective, we had three cases in the entire province in 1998. And more than half the people who contract syphilis are HIV-positive," Thomas said.
The complete story can be found at
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/243790.
Thomas suggests that changes to Quebec's sex-education practices may be playing a role here. But a recent Pride event in Montreal was attended by gay Torontonians, some of whom also travel to NY and San Francisco...you get the picture.
The other week, on my first-ever trip to a bathhouse, I somewhat recklessly allowed a stranger to go down on me skin-to-skin; but in reciprocating I insisted on a condom. My gay cousin laughed at me for being so cautious....but he still brought this story to my attention a few days ago. Soooo....are we looking at a situation where the bareback blowjob will come to be regarded in much the same way as bareback anal sex?
