Purpose of review: The rates of sexual transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis C in MSM are rising in most countries. Recent research has raised the question of whether increasing testing and treatment of these infections could substantially reduce their transmission.
Recent findings: Although mathematical models suggest this strategy could be potentially effective in reducing transmission, there is currently very limited evidence that community-wide incidence has been curtailed by this strategy.
Summary: If increasing in testing is to substantially reduce the incidence of these infections then significant increases in testing are required together with innovative approaches to testing and healthcare delivery. Notwithstanding this, relatively simple approaches to increasing testing are currently underutilized.