Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at least 44 times more likely to be diagnosed with HIV than other men, and 40 times more likely than women, according to an analysis released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the 2010 National STD Prevention Conference.

They also are more than 46 times as likely to have syphilis than other men and more than 71 times as likely than women to have that sexually transmitted disease (STD).

Kevin Fenton, who heads up the CDC's efforts in those areas, said the analysis was made to show "just how stark the health disparities are between this and other populations."

"It is clear that we will not be able to stop the US HIV epidemic until every affected community, along with health officials nationwide, prioritize the needs of gay and bisexual men with HIV prevention efforts."

"There is no single or simple solution for reducing HIV and syphilis rates among gay and bisexual men. We need intensified prevention efforts that are as diverse as the gay community itself," Fenton said in a prepared statement.

Read the full article on windycitymediagroup.com.

See a response from Gay Mens Health Crisis on gmhc.org.