Men were more likely to be diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) last year, mainly due to unsafe sexual practices, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.
Last year saw 9,738 confirmed cases of syphilis and 7,605 cases of gonorrhea, with unprotected sex the main cause, the CDC said in a statement.
STIs primarily affect sexually active men younger than 50, it said.
Photo courtesy of Taipei Veterans General Hospital via CNA
However, syphilis cases have decreased by 2 percent and gonorrhea cases by 8 percent from 2023, it added.
Although the number of cases is going down, syphilis cases in 2023 were the second-highest in five years, while gonorrhea remains among the top three most reported STIs, CDC spokeswoman Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) told reporters.
Syphilis has a male-to-female reported case ratio of 5:1, while as many as 90 percent of gonorrhea cases were men, she said.
Syphilis is caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum and spreads through direct contact with an infectious sore via skin-to-skin contact, mucous membranes and blood, with an incubation period of 10 to 90 days, she said.
The initial symptoms of syphilis are painless ulcers on the genitals, which can then develop into a rash, headache, fatigue and fever, she added.
If untreated, syphilis can cause tumors and life-threatening neurological and cardiovascular complications, Tseng said.
Gonorrhea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, with symptoms presenting in men as pus-like discharge and painful urination from two to seven days after infection, while women are often asymptomatic, she said.
If left untreated, gonorrhea can lead to infertility in women, or spread to the rectum, throat or eyes, where it can cause gonococcal conjunctivitis, she added.
Both diseases are curable, although reinfection can occur, Tseng said.
The CDC recommends safe sex practices such as wearing a condom, using water-based lubricants and regular STI testing for those with active sex lives.
It also recommends that sexual partners encourage each other to get tested and treated if necessary to avoid “ping pong” style reinfections.
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
ALIGNED THINKING: Taiwan and Japan have a mutual interest in trade, culture and engineering, and can work together for stability, Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei. Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added. Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately. Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
RSS