Your Nov. 22 article, "Syphilis resurges across N.C.," told us in the third sentence that "[syphilis] numbers are up across almost all age and racial groups, including teenage girls and blacks." That is technically true, but deceptive. It suggests a broad-based epidemic, which this is not. It wasn't until the 17th paragraph that we got a hint at who mainly gets syphilis, when you wrote that "the current outbreak centers on young black men who have sex with men."
In fact, in the United States, men who have sex with other men account for an astounding 63 percent of all syphilis cases, even though they represent less than 3 percent of the population. That means they are at least 55 times more likely to contract syphilis than are other Americans. Why didn't you report that? If you think you're doing homosexual men a favor by not reporting such things, you are very mistaken.
Syphilis is not only a health threat in its own right, it also increases the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. By failing to report the risks associated with homosexual activity, you magnify those risks by encouraging risky behavior.
