Experts around the world are bracing for more super-resistant gonorrhea to hit the worldwide populace. In March 2018, a disturbing report documented yet another case of gonorrhea that was resistant to the antibiotics azithromycin and ceftriaxone — the only remaining recommended treatment for gonorrhea.
The infection was reported in the UK and was immediately pounced upon by tabloids as “Super Gonorrhea”.
Ultimately, the infected man was cured, but only have 3 days of IV treatment with ertapenem, a “crisis” antibiotic only used for severe, life-threatening infections. If this emergency, last-resort treatment becomes the only remaining way to cure some STDs, it would have a huge impact on healthcare.
Medical professionals are extremely concerned that it’s not a matter of “if” gonorrhea becomes resistant the last recommended antibiotic, but “when”. Gonorrhea has been treatable for about 80 years, but it’s proven extremely adept at developing a resistance to each new form of antibiotics we try. It’s run the gamut from sulfonamides, penicillin, tetracycline, spectinomycin, fluoroquinolones, macrolides, and finally cephalosporins. Unlike many other viruses, once Gonorrhea develops a resistance to a certain antibiotic, it doesn’t shed the “memory” of how to resist the previous strains. Instead it holds onto them, stockpiling an ever-growing databank of resistance “knowledge”. So we can’t just switch back to another drug we previously used, we have to develop of new ones.
Of course, scientists are hard at work trying to develop new antibiotics to combat Gonorrhea, and we have some optimism that they’ll eventually be successful. One of the new drugs, solithromycin, has completed phase 3 clinical trials, the last hurdle before it can be granted FDA approval. Two other new drugs, zoliflodacin and gepotidacin, also showed promising results in phase 2 trials. But because of the rigorous testing and certification required for human drugs, any new antibiotics are still a few years away, at best.
If super-resistant Gonorrhea becomes mainstream before we have developed another form of cure, then it could mark the end of the antibiotic era of medicine. And a disease that’s nothing more than a nuisance with proper antibiotics could soon become untreatable, causing significant health problems if not properly addressed in time.
The STD weakens your immune system, making you more vulnerable to other diseases like HIV. It can also cause a burning sensation when urinating, soreness, bleeding, painful bowel movements, painful or swollen testicles in men, and serious complications from infection in women.
So what can be done to prevent the spread of super-resistant STDs? Practice Safe Sex. Get tested often. Private Tested Center strives to offer affordable and convenient testing to the public in a constant effort to prevent the spread of HIV and STDs. Our goal is to educate people about the risks associated with unprotected sexual activity and also the importance routine screenings play in prevention and treatment of HIV and STDs. All of our testing is performed through the blood and urine. No pelvic exams, painful swabs or embarrassing visual exams are necessary, as blood and urine testing is the most accurate.
Call 888.248.9002 or Schedule Your Test today.