Gonorrhoea Treatment: The threat of antibiotic resistance

We have discussed Gonorrhoea treatment before on our blog. It is an important topic because every day the bacteria causing Gonorrhoea become a little bit harder to treat.

The strain of gonorrhoea that you might be infected by today, has changed significantly over the last 100 years, and even in the last ten.  This is because the bacteria that cause the infection have continued to evolve, and like many animals, adapt to their situation in order to survive.  Their “situation” is the use of antibiotics to kill them.  There are now some strains (more prevalent in the Far East) that are said to be resistant to drugs.  In the UK, Gonorrhoea is routinely treated with two different antibiotics (one oral and one injection) to kill the bacteria.  It is usually when a bacteria colony is only partly killed that it comes back stronger and more resistant to the drugs used.

An untreated gonorrhoea infection can lead to itching, burning when urinating and increased discharge as well as infertility in women and reduced fertility in men.  This is why most people, even if they do not currently have symptoms, want to make sure they do not get any and cure their infection.

Studies in the US show that 13.8% of Gonorrhoea infections are no longer being cured by ciprofloxacin, and this drug is no longer recommended for Gonorrhoea treatment there.

If you are worried about Gonorrhoea or any STI, Better2Know is here to help you.  We can get you an appointment today to see (or speak to on the phone) one of our doctors and help you to get tested with results in just two days from when your sample is received in our laboratory.