Syphilis spikes

The rate of syphilis in gay men has reached its highest level in 30 years in B.C., and Vancouver Coastal Health is urging regular testing.

Medical health officer Dr. Reka Gustafson said there were nearly 500 cases of infectious syphilis reported to the health authority last year.

She said that number is nearly double what was reported a decade earlier. Stats show that more than 90 per cent of men diagnosed with syphilis are identified as gay or bisexual.