Safe Sex: How to Avoid the Risks of Gonorrhoea

A common sexually transmitted disease, gonorrhoea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. There are a number of different strains of this germ, but antibiotic-resistant ones have become far more common as the number of cases of this disease have risen in the 21st century. As such, the way in which it is treated has had to change – during the late 20th century, the disease rose and became more common as a result of freer and more casual attitudes towards sex. In 2010, the number of cases in UK rose to 18,600 – up by 5,700 for women and 12,900 for men. Of the men, around 30 percent of these were men who had sex with other men. Gonorrhoea generally affects people aged between 15 and 30 years old. This disease is more common in other parts of the world, so casual sex overseas could be a big risk. It’s contracted via sexual contact, such as vaginal or anal intercourse. You can also pass on the disease via oral sex, with some people developing a sore throat due to gonorrhoeal infections – sex workers and other people may have this bacterium in their throats without actually realising. Studies show that mothers who are infected with this germ can actually pass it on to their children during delivery – if they were untreated, infants would develop a severe inflammation in their eyes, which could even develop into blindness. However, it’s common for antibiotic eye drops to be given rapidly to such children to avoid this.

 

Only around half of the women and a handful of men will ever show symptoms of gonorrhoea. In men, the most common symptom is painful urination. They may also have a white, green or yellow discharge from the top of the penis. In people who practice anal sex, it may be a recurring disease. While anal gonorrhoea is usually symptom-free, some people do experience irritation, pain or discharge from the anus. Women don’t often experience symptoms, but in men painful urination and discharge may occur. In both sexes, a throat infection is common as a result of oral sex with someone who is infected with the disease. This might be connected with a fever, as well. You can avoid developing gonorrhoea by avoiding sex with multiple partners, practicing safe sex by using a condom throughout all sex, and if you’re under the influence of alcohol or drugs avoid having sex with anyone – this can lead to you making poor choices with regards to how safe you are. Oral sex can also lead to this problem so it’s important to use a condom here too. Gonorrhoea can be diagnosed by the bacterium found in the urethra, cervix, throat or rectum. When you’re being tested, you will be asked to give a urine sample so don’t urinate for a couple of hours before going to your appointment. You may also have to have a swab so that the doctor can test drops of moisture from these areas, but it is a quick and relatively painless procedure. If you do have gonorrhoea, you will be given the medicines to combat the infection. If it is left untreated, it can lead to an inflammation of the sexual organs or blockages in the fallopian tubes in women, and can lead to an inflammation of the epididymis in men – this is a tightly-coiled tube which is situated by the testicle. It can also cause chordee, which is a painful bending of the penis. A constant practice of safe sex procedures, as well as regular check-ups at your local GUM clinic will ensure that you avoid the risks of STDs or catch them early if you do develop them.

Categories: avoid, common, Disease, Gonorrhoea, oral sex, painful urination, people, safe sex, sexually transmitted infections

New Figures Show Which UK City has the Highest STI Rates

Sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, are a big problem in the UK. In particular it is a problem for Sheffield, which has recently been given the worrying title of ‘sex infection capital’ of Yorkshire. An online study carried out by HealthExpress has found that the men of Sheffield needed the most advice about the symptoms of sexually transmitted infections, so far in 2013. 101 men sought information, whereas the runner-up city, Leeds, only had 68 enquiries. In the UK in total Sheffield came 9^th however. Though it may cause the most concern for sexual health in Yorkshire, in the UK, Birmingham has proved the most in need of help, with 142.

 

The most common sexually transmitted infection was chlamydia, and the second most common was gonorrhoea. In Sheffield health chiefs and professionals criticised the study, saying that the sample was too small and specific to be truly representative. Sheffield’s Director of Public Health, Dr Jeremy Wight, stated that the majority of people sought help and information from GPs or sexual health clinics and services offered by local hospitals. He criticised the data, whereas some have said that it may show that more people are attempting to seek help and making themselves aware of sexually transmitted infections. The conductors of the study, HealthExpress, are an online clinic offering confidential consultations, and if needed are able to dispatch medication. Wight advised the people of Sheffield against using these kinds of services, and to seek help from established NHS clinics.

 

One of the most important things people can do to prevent the spread of STIs is to make themselves aware of the causes, symptoms and treatments for them. Seeking online information from credible sources, such as the NHS website, can be an important tool for protecting yourself and others from the spread of STIs. Some other, active steps to take is to use condoms and limit the number of sexual partners you have, as well as being open and honest to your past and current sexual partners about any health concerns you have. If you think you have received a sexual infection from someone, or given one to someone else, make sure that all parties involved are made aware and seek treatment immediately.

Categories: Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Sexual Infection, STI

What Do You (and Your Teenager) Need to Know about STDs?

It’s important for anyone to get their facts straight about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), but this is especially important if you’re a teenager or the parent of one. If you have ever never taken your clothes off and had skin to skin contact with another person, your wellness is at risk of an STD, so what do you need to know?

Scare tactics should never be used to make you avoid risky sexual health behaviour, but as people aged 15 through 24 account for half of all new, reported infections, it’s important to be in the know about STDs, and how you can guard your wellbeing against them. Let’s start with a common STD; gonorrhoea. This STD often doesn’t present with any symptoms, which makes it very easy to spread, unnoticed, unless you use a condom. Among the reported cases of gonorrhoea, the highest rate of infection is in 15 to 19-year-old girls and men in their early 20s, and 75% of all reported cases of gonorrhoea are in young people aged 15 to 29.

If you’re a parent of a teenager, you might not like to think about them having sex. However, not only is it likely that they are, but you need to acknowledge this fact to help protect them against STDs. Communication is key in helping teenagers stop taking risks with their health. 50% of teenagers are sexually active, but only 30% report using condoms – and even then that doesn’t mean they use them every time. You may not be able to stop your son or daughter having sex, but you can educate them about protection.

Another thing which is important for teenagers to know is that STD testing is crucial if you are sexually active. Many people think this only applies to HIV, which is why only half of adults under the age of 45 have been tested for any other STD. However, as many infections, such as gonorrhoea, chlamydia and genital herpes, may be symptom less, you should be tested for STDs at least annually if you are sexually active. Any teen that has had sexual intercourse, whether once or 100 times, is potentially carrying an STI.

What Do You (and Your Teenager) Need to Know about STDs?

Categories: active, Gonorrhoea, people aged, Protection, reported cases, sexually, sexually active, STDs, teenager, Teenagers

Antibiotics Failing to Treat Gonorrhoea as Cases Rise

Antibiotics have been leading the fight against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) since the 1940s. But now the infections are fighting back – in England and Wales in 2011, cases of gonorrhoea rose by a quarter as strains of the disease showed resistance to the drug treatment.

Health chiefs have now launched a new campaign known as the Gonorrhoea Resistance Action Plan to deal with the problem, which is fast becoming a major issue worldwide. The Action Plan has been developed by the Gonococcal Resistant to Antimicrobials Surveillance Programme (GRASP) to examine how gonorrhoea has become increasingly resistant to the antibiotics currently used to treat the disease.

Gonorrhoea is the second most common bacterial STI in England and in 2011, new cases rose by 25% in one year to almost 21,000. More than a third of new diagnoses involved men who have sex with men with a third reported to be repeat infections.

The idea behind the Action Plan is to raise awareness of the threat of gonorrhoea and to inform those who take part in risky sexual activity that antibiotics can no longer treat the disease simply and effectively. The Action Plan will be used to collect essential data on gonorrhoea diagnoses and treatment failures to inform and guide clinicians in dealing with the rising threat of antibiotic resistance. More will also be done to promote the safe sex message, particularly through the use of condoms in penetrative sex.

Drugs such as ceftriaxone and azithromycin are commonly used to treat gonorrhoea but an increasing number of cases have proven to be resistant to the drugs in England and around the world. Infection resistance is now considered one of the major health issues facing the medical profession.

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Antibiotics Failing to Treat Gonorrhoea as Cases Rise

Categories: antibiotics, Gonorrhoea, Resistance

Call for New Drugs to be Developed to Treat Gonorrhoea

Antibiotics have been at the forefront of the battle against gonorrhoea for decades. But evidence is emerging that the sexually transmitted infection (STI) is growing resistant to the last class of antibiotics that can treat gonorrhoea.

The news is a worrying development for the medical profession worldwide – the World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests that more than 100 million people are infected with gonorrhoea every single year, making it the second most common STI.

So far, the UK, France, Australia, Japan, Sweden and Norway have reported cases where gonorrhoea has proved resistant to antibiotic treatment.

The WHO is now calling for more research into alternative therapies for gonorrhoea. And through its Global Action Plan, the health agency also wants better preventative measures, quicker diagnosis and better control of gonorrhoea infections.

Gonorrhoea was once known as “the clap” and is an STI caused by the neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria. It is passed through unprotected sex and a pregnant woman can also pass the infection on to her unborn child.

Typical symptoms of gonorrhoea include an unusual discharge from the penis or vagina, pain when urinating, and bleeding between periods for women. Some people who have the infection don’t have any symptoms.

The earlier the infection is diagnosed and the quicker treatment begins, the more effective antibiotics can be in eradicating it. Left untreated, gonorrhoea can cause serious long-term health problems, such as pelvic inflammatory disease or infertility, eye infections in newborns and an increased risk of HIV infection.

Antibiotics have been used to treat gonorrhoea since the 1940s but over the decades, the infection has developed resistance to the likes of penicillin and tetracyclines. The latest developments from around the world have now revealed that gonorrhoea is proving resistant to cephalosporins, the last line in drug defence against it.

The spread of gonorrhoea can be prevented by practising safe sex – always use a condom.

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Call for New Drugs to be Developed to Treat Gonorrhoea

Categories: antibiotics, Gonorrhoea, resistant

Gap in treatment of STD among Teens

For treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) the partner needs to be treated to prevent re-infection of the patient with STD.  Indeed, even after receiving antibiotics to clear their infections, 40 percent of teenage Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia patients are diagnosed with a second bout of the same illness within a year. About half of all sexually transmitted infections in U.K. occur in teenagers.

Golden is the senior author of a study published Sept. 17 in Paediatrics that examines whether California paediatric residents –

New physicians receiving specialty training in paediatric medicine — know about expedited partner therapy, which helps doctors stop sexually transmitted diseases from bouncing back and forth within a couple.  Knowledge of expedited partner therapy is better in physicians enrolled in the state’s three residency programs that offer fellowships in adolescent medicine.

Expedited partner therapy laws, which were introduced in California, have since been adopted in 30 other states, to allow physicians to prescribe antibiotics to the sexual partners of Gonorrhoea or Chlamydia patients without seeing the partner. Earlier, laws authorized state health departments to contact sexual partners of people diagnosed with these infections and to test and treat the partners. However, most health departments lack the resources to offer this service widely. Expedited partner therapy has been shown to be an effective alternative, especially in cases where the patient says his or her partner is unlikely to visit a Doctor.

The Research study results suggest that the lack of familiarity with Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT) extends beyond residents to more experienced paediatricians, the research team said. It may be that many of the paediatrician mentors don’t know about these laws.  The findings underscore the need for a more systematic approach to incorporating EPT information into paediatricians’ training.

The best way for adolescents to deal with STDs is to avoid getting them in the first place.  Parents of teenagers should be encouraged to talk to their kids about sexual health. If parents can speak to their children about protecting against sexually transmitted infections, that’s very useful.  Obviously, using protection such as condoms is the best way to prevent these infections.

The best person other than a parent for teens to talk to about these issues is the paediatrician.  Regardless of whether parents weigh in, it’s the responsibility of paediatricians to broach the subject with teens, and parents should ensure that their adolescent children have time to have confidential conversations with their paediatricians, without mom or dad present.

Gap in treatment of STD among Teens

Categories: Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, STD