Vancouver seeks to stem rising tide of syphilis among gay men
VANCOUVER, - In response to syphilis rates among Vancouver's homosexual/bisexual men having reached epidemic proportions, Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) has launch a new campaign aimed at stopping the spread of the highly contagious disease by distributing more condoms. In what the Canadian Press describes as a "cheeky internet and poster campaign," Vancouver Coastal Health's " Health Initiative for Men " focuses on " What's trending in Vancouver?" The VCH campaign answers its own question, "how do I protect myself?" by responding, the "regular use of condoms." In June, Vancouver Coastal Health and the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) issued a warning that syphilis infections in homosexual and bisexual men have soared to their highest levels in more than 30 years in the Vancouver area. According to the warning, 2012 saw 371 new cases of syphilis reported in British Columbia. Eighty