The University of California San Francisco released an apology last week. The UCSD Department of Public Affairs had initially released research regarding the spread of the MRSA Superbug, the highly contagious staph infection.

“We regret that our recent news report about an important population-based study on MRSA USA300 with public health implications contained some information that could be interpreted as misleading. We deplore negative targeting of specific populations in association with MRSA infections or other public health concerns, and we will be working to ensure that accurate information about the research is disseminated to the health community and the general public.”

Several gay rights groups spoke out after The New York Times and several other news sources reported that MRSA is being primarily spread by gay men.

“The way they keep targeting gays as if gays alone are responsible for it, its like HIV/AIDS all over again,” San Francisco resident Colin Thurlow told the Times. “And we’re sick and tired of it.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who helped finance UCSD’s study added that MRSA is not a sexually transmitted disease. The disease is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact and in the past has been touted as a concern for athletes and those sharing close quarters.

But the rationalizations have not stopped the radical homophobes from coming out of the woodwork. Matt Barber, spokesman for the Concerned Women For America has been calling MRSA “the new AIDS,” a “new gay disease” and “the gay plague,” blaming homosexuals for not only MRSA but AIDS, syphilis and gonorrhea.

Hate messages aside, the bottom line is that While diseases do not discriminate, “male-mex sex seems to be a risk factor for [MRSA].” So gentleman, keep yourself clean.

For more information on preventing MRSA, check out our January 23rd article on MRSA.

Tags:MRSA, Staph infection

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Matt Falber is the Editor-in-Chief of Real Gay L.A. Matt was formerly an editorial assistant at Frontiers Magazine. He served as a regular contributing writer for Frontiers for two years and also wrote for IN Los Angeles, its sister publication. Matt has a flare for the arts and when we don't have him chained to his desk, he can be seen singing and acting in various L.A. venues.
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