Springtime and a young man’s thoughts turn to — syphilis?That because rates of sexually transmitted disease in Montreal, the self proclaimed City of Saints, are at their highest in more than 10 years, according to a new public health report on HIV, syphilis and other STIs.After falling through the pandemic, numbers have jumped almost 120% in 2023. There were more than 310 new cases of HIV in 2022, up from 121 in 2021 or nearly 20% of all cases reported in Canada. The number of new syphilis cases jumped to 700 from an average of 400 in 2013.The biggest increase was among women, which rose to 68 cases from just nine in in 2022. In addition, there were 11 cases of congenital syphilis, where infected women pass it on to their unborn babies..I think a lot of it is linked to self-esteem. If we have low self-esteem, we think it’s frowned upon to ask someone to use a condom,”Dr. Réjean Thomas, cofounder Clinique médicale L’Actuel.Congenital syphilis occurs in women with poor access to prenatal care, the report notes; vulnerability factors include homelessness, immigration status and drug use. About half of all HIV cases came from immigrants where it is considered endemic, like Africa or the Caribbean.According to public health experts, condom use is declining even as more people use social media and dating apps to hook up for casual encounters. Some even blamed increased use of stimulants such as crystal meth which reportedly heightens sexual pleasure and reduces inhibitions, making users more engage in risky behaviours.Left untreated, syphilis can cause organ damage to the heart, brain and eyes.“It is mind-blowing to me how people trust people they don’t know. They tell me, ‘I met someone on Grindr and slept with him.’ I think a lot of it is linked to self-esteem. If we have low self-esteem, we think it’s frowned upon to ask someone to use a condom,” said Dr. Réjean Thomas, co-founder and director of Clinique médicale L’Actuel, a Montreal clinic dedicated to people affected by HIV and other STIs..“Every day, there are campaigns about alcohol and tobacco. But no one is talking about sexually transmitted infections or HIV.“.In the past, HIV was a death sentence. It has since been downgraded to the category of ‘chronic’ illness. According to the report more than three quarters of people around the world with HIV are on antiretroviral medication which also reduces the spread.Montreal was the site of the first annual World AIDS Day in 1988. Thomas said the lack of fatalities has lessened the stigma surrounding the disease.“Every day, there are campaigns about alcohol and tobacco. But no one is talking about sexually transmitted infections or HIV. It is difficult for me to understand: Even if HIV is not terminal, it is still a serious illness — one that always involves human drama,” Thomas told The Montreal Gazette.
