Syphilis epidemic hits city

Dublin is experiencing a syphilis epidemic, according to a consultant in the State's main Sexually Transmitted Diseases clinic.

Dr Fiona Mulcahy, of the Department of Genito-urinary Infectious Diseases Epidemiology in St James's Hospital, Dublin, said that where the clinic was seeing three to four cases a year, there had been 45 new cases of the infection so far this year.

"There is undoubtedly an epidemic," she said. "In the past they have been older people who had had it before and it was flaring up.

"Now we are seeing young people who have never had it before. We are barely coping."

Dr Derek Freedman, a Genito-urinary physician in Dublin, is seeing a similar increase in people with syphilis. "Last year I would have seen zero, while this year, I can tell you I saw three in the past two weeks alone."

Syphilis is a bacterial infection transmitted through sexual intercourse and also through kissing, biting and other oral contact.

It progresses through three stages- the second of which responds well to penicillin - and the third, occurring about six months after the infection, can cause heart disease and brain damage.

The biggest increase in the disease is among young gay men, according to Dr Mulcahy, partly because many are unaware they are at risk, even if they use condoms, through oral sex.

However, there is also an increase among heterosexuals. The main reasons being, says Dr Freedman, the demographic fact that there are more sexually active people than there were five years ago, and the healthy economy.

"People have more money, they party more," he said. His hope is that there would be a greater awareness of the risks of unsafe sex.

The test for syphilis is a simple blood test which can be done by any doctor.