TABLE 1—
Characteristics of Interviewed Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) Diagnosed With Primary or Secondary Syphilis (n = 5925): California, 2004–2008
| Characteristic | No. (%) |
| Syphilis stage | |
| Primary | 1717 (29.0) |
| Secondary | 4208 (71.0) |
| Race/ethnicity | |
| White | 3046 (51.4) |
| Black | 608 (10.3) |
| Hispanic | 1813 (30.6) |
| Asian | 274 (4.6) |
| Other | 88 (1.5) |
| Unknown | 96 (1.6) |
| Sexual orientation | |
| Bisexual | 491 (8.3) |
| MSM only | 5434 (91.7) |
| HIV statusa | |
| Positive | 3257 (58.9) |
| Negative | 2273 (41.1) |
| Venues used to meet sex partners | |
| Internet | 2154 (36.4) |
| Bars and clubs | 1678 (28.3) |
| Bathhouses and sex clubs | 936 (15.8) |
| Streets | 319 (5.4) |
| Private parties | 326 (5.5) |
| Drug use in past year | |
| Methamphetamines | 1140 (19.2) |
| Poppers | 313 (5.3) |
| Ecstasy | 282 (4.8) |
| Erectile dysfunction drugs | 247 (4.2) |
| Cocaine | 221 (3.7) |
| No. of sex partners in interview period | |
| 1 | 1247 (21.1) |
| 2 | 1170 (19.8) |
| 3–4 | 1296 (21.9) |
| 5–9 | 905 (15.3) |
| 10–49 | 837 (14.1) |
| 50–99 | 100 (1.7) |
| 100–199 | 41 (0.7) |
| 200–499 | 5 (0.08) |
| ≥ 500 | 4 (0.07) |
| Missing | 320 (5.4) |
Note. The median age of patients was 37 years (range = 14–75 years). The median number of sex partners during the interview period was 3; for the 95th percentile, the number was 25.
a
A total of 395 patients did not know or refused to disclose their HIV status.