Look! It’s a bird. No, it’s a plane. No, it’s Super…gonorrhea?
Uh oh.
Super gonorrhea is not something good like Superman or Superwoman. It is a sexually transmitted bacteria that is resistant to most if not all the antibiotics that are currently available. It’s scientific name is Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Around 78 million new gonorrhea infections that occur each year and as a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report explains, “data from 77 countries show that antibiotic resistance is making gonorrhea–a common sexually transmitted infection–much harder, and sometimes impossible, to treat.” In fact the WHO said the outlook is “fairly grim” with only three new candidate drugs “in various stages of clinical development.” The WHO also stated that the development of new antibiotics is “not very attractive for commercial pharmaceutical companies” because they are taken for short periods, become less effective as resistance develops, and constantly need replenishing.
In order to address the issue, the WHO and The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) have launched a Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP), a not-for-profit research and development organization with a mission of “developing new antibiotic treatments and promoting appropriate use while ensuring access for all in need.”
Gonorrhoea is spread by unprotected vaginal, oral, and anal sex. Residing in the genitals, rectum and throat, it is caught not through just penetrative or oral sex but through touch, which means it can be transferred on fingers or sex toys.
The disease often stalks victims silently, with no symptoms; when it does leave its mark, symptoms usually consist of:
– conjunctivitis
– abdominal pain
– pus leakage from the penis
Left untreated, it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and also increase your risk of catching HIV.
One reason why this antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea is spreading is unprotected oral sex. Many people think that unprotected oral sex is “safe sex”…THINK AGAIN.
Oral sex can transmit Neisseria gonorrhoeae from someone’s privates to your throat and vice versa. And up to 90% of people with oral gonorrhea have no or minimal symptoms. Yes, many people do not even realize that they have oral gonorrhea.
Your doctor can diagnose oral gonorrhea via a simple swab test for women and a urine or swab test for men. The majority of diagnoses can…
… at least rapidly isolate further infections. Standard treatment for gonorrhea is a shot (intramuscular injection, not a drink) of ceftriaxone and oral azithromycin. However, the emergence of super gonorrhea is decreasing and potentially eliminating treatment options.
Without effective treatment, your body may be able to naturally clear gonorrhea from your body in weeks to months. However, this does not always occur, and untreated gonorrhea has the potential to wreak all kinds of havoc.
With more awareness of your body, that sore throat or itchiness or stomach pain you didn’t have before you had sex becomes easier to pay attention to, and easier to get checked out. And dare to care if a lover tells you they feel unwell.
Men, in particular need to pay attention. Since 2015 in the UK, men who have sex with men have seen a greater rise in their risk of infection.
The good thing about gonorrhoea is that it is easy to detect and the majority of contractions are not yet the superbug. Unfortunately, it does take up to two weeks to get the results, during which it’s advisable to abstain from sexual activity with other people. It’s not as cheap or rapid as syphilis or HIV testing, but it’s definitely needed.
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