Syphilis Prevalence, Incidence, and Demographic Differences in a Longitudinal Study of Young Sexual and Gender Minority Adults Assigned Male at Birth.

BACKGROUND:Syphilis rates in the United States have increased. Few studies have examined syphilis incidence and prevalence prospectively among young sexual and gender minorities (YSGM). METHODS:This study of YSGM assigned male at birth comes from a Chicago-based prospective cohort at 2 visits 6 months apart (N = 882). Syphilis cases were identified through serologic test results and self-reported history. RESULTS:In this sample, 25.1% had a lifetime prevalence, and 3.3% were incident cases with a crude incidence rate of 6.76 per 100 person-years. CONCLUSIONS:Lifetime syphilis and incidence are high in this sample of YSGM relative to general population samples.