Here’s some fun news for a Monday afternoon – Gonorrhoea, one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the UK, often presenting no symptoms, is developing some antibiotic-resistant strains.
The threat of this new ‘super-gonorrhoea’ has been mounting since December last year, when outbreaks in Leeds, Oldham, Macclesfield and Scunthorpe hit headlines http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/gonorrhea-could-become-untreatable-due-to-antibiotic-resistance-a6787136.html. Despite clinician’s best efforts to keep the strain under control, by emphasising the serious health risks of an untreatable disease and attempting to track down sufferers’ previous sexual partners, efforts had been of ‘limited success’, according to Public Health England (PHE).
The Independent today reported that healthcare officials have expressed ‘huge concerns’ over the recent outbreak. Because the disease usually has no symptoms to start with, those infected often go untreated, meaning it can spread undetected and end up affecting large communities. When (and if) symptoms do occur, they can include a burning sensation when peeing, bleeding between periods and lower abdominal pain in women.
But what we really have to worry about is the repercussion of untreated (or untreatable) gonorrhoea; like many STD’s, leaving the disease untreated can eventually lead to infertility, blocked fallopian tubes and ectopic pregnancy (where pregnancy occurs on the outside of the uterus, causing the sufferer acute pain).
The first instances of recorded in northern England occurred exclusively in heterosexual relations, but are now being noted in gay and bisexual communities too, indicating the strain is gaining momentum and passing on more easily.
So as ever, the best way to protect yourself and take control of your sexual health is to ALWAYS wear a condom, as it can be transmitted through vaginal, oral and anal sex.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.