Gonorrhea is now showing up with more antibiotic resistant strains. One of the most prevelant STDs in the world, over the last decade gonorrhea‘s resistance to the drugs used to treat it has gone up by a factor of 7 (against cefixime, it’s only 3 times as resistant to ceftiaxone).
While not everyone needs to be concerned about catching gonorrhea, having a common, antibiotic resistant STD out there IS a public health concern everyone should be aware of.
Gonorrhea, or, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, is an example gram negative bacteria. Gram negative bacteria have an outer membrane that resists antibiotics and other treatments that target the cell wall. While specific antibiotics have been developed to combat gram negative bacteria, those are starting to lose efficacy as well.
Gonorrhea can still be treated, but with more time, money, and side-effects. Gonorrhea in the throat, one of the more common gonorrhea infections, is particularly antibiotic resistant, and so people should be extra-aware of transmission via this route.
Gonorrhea symptoms show up within a week of infection. It is easier for men to transmit gonorrhea than for women.
Gonorrhea symptoms in men:
– Burning sensation during urination
-Penile discharge
Gonorrhea symptoms in women:
-Often show no symptoms
-Vaginal discharge
-Pelvic pain
-Pain with intercourse
Untreated the infection can spread, notably affecting joints and the heart. Gonorrhea is often accompanied by another STD such as chlamidea.
Follow our Twitter account, @colloidsguy, for more updates on antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Given the repeated reports of new antibiotic resistant bacteria, do you find yourself making different decisions?
