Campaign DeskThe Observatory
The MRSA-Gay Connection
Press slaps its own wrist for mischaracterizing research
By Curtis Brainard Thu 24 Jan 2008 09:00 AMWhen dealing with such a socio-politically charged topic, reporters must emphasize (as Lawrence Altman did in The New York Times’s first article on the subject last week) that even though the infection is prominent among gay men, it has occurred among non-gays as well (hospital workers in particular), and that it is not a sexually transmitted disease. Homosexual intercourse, in other words, is an important risk factor (in a couple cities at least), but not the root of infection.
CJR
1 | 2
Subscribe Today
TDC![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.cjr.org/nav-commenters.gif)
Tue 22 Jan 2008 11:19 AMHow ridiculous is this? CJR now has a blog devoted to science journalism whose mission statement is spotlight science news when “it falls victim to spin, engages in alarmism, perpetrates false balance, misrepresents the science in peer-reviewed literature, or displays questionable priorities in news judgment.”
So to illustrate this new dedication to Science Journalism, Mr Brainard highlights the recent spat about activist group who got all riled up about the report, lodged a complaint with the UC San Francisco whos PC drones fell in line, and this is a positive step for science journalism? While the report did not specifically say that “gay sex is a risk factor of USA 300”, the conclusion is certainly not a stretch by any means. Or to quote from the report:
In Boston, multidrug-resistant USA300 was recovered exclusively from men who have sex with men.
Multidrug-resistant USA300 MRSA infection is especially common among men who have sex with men. It might be sexually transmitted in this population.
Twenty-nine of the 30 patients with multidrug-resistant USA300 infection had a history of having male–male sex, consistent with the high incidence of multidrug-resistant USA300 observed in San Francisco ZIP codes with high percentages of male same-sex couples
Scientific studies are by nature very conservative with their conclusions, and unless the researchers fall victim to the ACT-UP lobby, a future study will most likely conclude in no uncertain terms that gays are more susceptible to USA 300 because of a general pattern of more risky sexual behavior, which would appear to be effective vector for transmission of USA300. Sticking your fingers in your ears and setting your blinders to full PC mode does not change this fact, a fact you try you hardest to gloss over in this post.