KING COUNTY, WA - On World AIDS Day (December 1), representatives from Public Health - Seattle & King County and HIV/AIDS service organizations as well as other leaders in the gay community will come together for a "Summit" to identify strategies to quell recent increases in sexual risk behavior among men who have sex with men.

Summit participants include representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, University of Washington, Northwest AIDS Foundation, Gay City Health Project, People of Color Against AIDS Network, Seattle Treatment Education Project, the Governor's Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, and the HIV/AIDS Planning Council, among many others.

"As a group, we need to come to a common understanding of the issues, identify new strategies to revitalize our HIV and STD prevention programs, and take action to incorporate these strategies into our current activities," said Public Health Director Dr. Alonzo Plough.

Syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia rates among gay and bisexual men in King County have risen dramatically during the last two years. These increases indicate that HIV among these men may also be spreading rapidly -- not only because the sexual behaviors that transmit STDs also transmit HIV, but also because the very presence of a STD makes HIV transmission easier.

"This is an urgent situation," Plough said. "We must find new ways to help gay and bisexual men reduce or eliminate risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections."

Each year, World AIDS Day marks a time when countries around the world come together to recognize the growing impact of HIV/AIDS. United States President Bill Clinton has said that this year's theme, "All Men - Make a Difference," is intended to focus on "men's ability -- and responsibility -- to exert a powerful influence in the struggle against HIV/AIDS."