Today I noted that News.com reporting on a “super gonorrhoea”, a resistant from of Gonorrhoea difficult to treat with traditional medications we would normally use.
THERE is “huge concern” among British doctors that “super-gonorrhoea” is spreading across the country.
The highly drug-resistant strain of the sexually transmitted superbug is at risk of becoming untreatable if the only fully effective antibiotic remaining fails, experts say.
There have been efforts to track down the sexual partners of those infected with the disease, which can cause infertility.
However Public Health England is understood to have acknowledged that efforts to contain the spread have been of “limited success”.
Certainly within my practice I have been seeing a lot of gonorrhoea within the Melbourne gay community.
Highest recommendation is to ensure you are getting sexual health screening on a regular basis. At a minimum yearly however if you’ve had more than 10 sexual partners in less than 6 months then every half year or quarter depending on how much sex you’ve been enjoying.
Remember that 1 in 5 people can have Gonorrhoea or Chlamydia in their throat or bum with no symptoms at all so its important to ensure you get a full screening:
- Throat swab
- Anal swab
- Urine test
- Bloods for HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis A, B & C
If found treatment can be started as well as additional swabs to check for any resistant strains.
Important symptoms to watch out for include, penile itch, discomfort or discharge, anal pain or even a sore throat. If you have any symptoms be sure to see your doctor or sexual health specialist ASAP.
Dr George
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