Estimating populations of men who have sex with men in the southern United States.

Population estimates of men who have sex with men (MSM) by state and race/ethnicity are lacking, hampering effective HIV epidemic monitoring and targeting of outreach and prevention efforts. We created three models to estimate the proportion and number of adult males who are MSM in 17 southern states. Model A used state-specific census data stratified by rural/suburban/urban area and national estimates of the percentage MSM in corresponding areas. Model B used a national estimate of the percentage MSM and state-specific household census data. Model C partitioned the statewide estimates by race/ethnicity. Statewide Models A and B estimates of the percentages MSM were strongly correlated (r = 0.74; r-squared = 0.55; p < 0.001) and had similar means (5.82% and 5.88%, respectively) and medians (5.5% and 5.2%, respectively). The estimated percentage MSM in the South was 6.0% (range 3.6-13.2%; median, 5.4%). The combined estimated number of MSM was 2.4 million, including 1,656,500 (69%) whites, 339,400 (14%) blacks, 368,800 (15%) Hispanics, 34,600 (1.4%) Asian/Pacific Islanders, 7,700 (0.3%) American Indians/Alaska Natives, and 11,000 (0.5%) others. The estimates showed considerable variability in state-specific racial/ethnic percentages MSM. MSM population estimates enable better assessment of community vulnerability, HIV/AIDS surveillance, and allocation of resources. Data availability and computational ease of our models suggest other states could similarly estimate their MSM populations.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: Therapeutic Efficacy of Dapsone in the Commonly Existing Sub-types.

In India, contaneous leishmaniasis is confined to the western Thar desert. Epidemiologically, two different forms are seen, viz the rural and the urban forms. The vectors responsible for the transmission in this region are the Phlebotomus papatasi and the Sergentomyia clydei. The efficacy of oral dapsone was evaluated in the commonly existing sub-types of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Ten patients each of the nodular and ulcerative forms of cutaneous leishmaniasis were selected by strict 'clinical and pathological criteria and treated with oral dapsone in a dose of 2 mg per kg body weight daily, for 6 weeks. Seven patients of the nodular variety and all the ten patients in the ulcerative sub-group were cured. No major adverse effects were noted. Review after 6 months revealed no recurrence. in another ten patients taken as controls and not receiving the drug, the lesions showed no significant change.