Sex Partner Meeting Venues and Out-of-State Sex Partners Among Men Who Have Sex With Men With Early Syphilis in Connecticut

OBJECTIVES: To examine sex partner meeting venues and out-of-state sex partners among men who have sex with men (MSM) with syphilis in Connecticut, a state with moderate syphilis prevalence. GOAL: To better understand transmission dynamics in the current syphilis epidemic. STUDY DESIGN: Review of health department records. RESULTS: A total of 185 MSM were diagnosed with early syphilis in Connecticut from 2000 to 2005 (mean age, 36 years; 56% white, 37% HIV-positive). Fifty-two percent of cases reported meeting sex partners at venues that facilitate multiple and/or anonymous sexual encounters including gay clubs or bars (22%), Internet (18%), and adult bookstores (12%). Meeting sex partners in venues increased over time and was associated with nonmetropolitan residence of the case. Forty-three percent of cases had an out-of-state sex partner during the time in which they likely acquired their infection. Having out-of-state sex partners decreased during the study period. Throughout 2000-2005, having out-of-state sex partners was positively associated with bathhouse use and negatively associated with use of adult bookstores. CONCLUSIONS: The observed pattern of increased meeting sex partners in venues located within the state and decreased out-of-state sex partners over time is suggestive of increasing transmission within the state of Connecticut.