url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EcGxOlMiyo

Soon, Christine. (2014, October). Evidence-based strategies for the prevention of syphilis among gay & other men who have sex with men. Presented at the Gay Men's Health Summit, Vancouver, Canada. Epidemiological data show that over the last decade a majority of new syphilis infections in Canada occurred among gay and other men who have sex with men (MSM). Public health authorities and community organizations have developed innovative strategies to raise health literacy and awareness of syphilis among gay men. However, a need exists for population-specific tools and resources to support public health professionals in the development of effective, evidence-based and culturally-appropriate STI prevention programming and strategies. In response, the Public Health Agency of Canada is in the process of developing a resource to support public health professionals and community organizations in the development of evidence-based strategies for the prevention of syphilis among gay and other MSM. A comprehensive review of the literature and existing evidence on syphilis and other STI prevention interventions was conducted to inform the development of a syphilis prevention resource. Multiple determinants of health such as homophobia, mental health and social support networks impact how gay and other MSM access health information and navigate STI services. Social media and the internet have also transformed the way in which gay men socialize and identify sexual partners, and are important tools for outreach interventions. A review of the evidence highlights five promising practices for syphilis prevention among gay and other MSM: 1) Increasing awareness about syphilis through targeted social marketing; 2) Increasing testing frequency for sexually active gay and other MSM, particularly for those most at risk; 3) Enhancing innovative approaches to partner notification and surveillance; 4) Enhancing public health guidance; and 5) Strengthening evaluation efforts to assess the impact of interventions. Implementation of the identified strategies, with appropriate consideration of the context in which they are implemented, is expected to support the prevention of syphilis among gay and other MSM.

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