Super gonorrhoea is a drug resistant bacterial variant of one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, Gonorrhoea. Usually, gonorrhoea is treated with one of the five antibiotics but the super gonorrhoea doesn’t respond/react to any of one of these and this has become a cause of concern to the doctors. Interestingly, this didn’t make into the news until the bug was detected in two patients in the United States but was already discovered in several patients in Asia.
Gonorrhoea is caused by the bacteria Neisseria Gonorrhoeae, and it has infected over 670,000 people in the year 2020. Though this doesn’t cause severe illness, symptoms of gonorrhoea include:
- Discharge from penis or vagina
- Pain or burning sensation when urinating
- Bleeding from the anus, if the infection has been transmitted through anal sex
- Infection of the reproductive system in both men and women leading to infertility.
The infection can be spread from mother to babies and this can be fatal or can cause blindness.
How is gonorrhoea treated in normal conditions?
Gonorrhoea causing bacteria is just another type of bacteria that spreads from an infected person to a healthy individual through unprotected sex. The preferred antibiotic to treat gonorrhoea has been azithromycin (until 2020 in the United States). However, as the bacteria started becoming resistant to the drug, doctors have been prescribing ceftriaxone. Ceftriaxone is injected instead of the pill form. Though the bacteria has become resistant to this medicine too, a higher dose of ceftriaxone has been successful in clearing the infection from the body.
Is there a vaccine for treating gonorrhoea?
Pharma companies are trying to develop a vaccine for many sexually transmitted infections but the work is still under progress. Few preventive ways advised to stop STIs from spreading include usage of condoms if you are having multiple sexual partners or sticking to one reliable partner or complete abstinence from sex depending on your lifestyle.
What should you do if you had unprotected sex last night or recently?
Unprotected sex may happen “in the urge of the moment” or if you like to have it skin to skin. If you are worried about contracting a sexually transmitted infection after the fact, the first thing you should do is not to panic and not to google.
Just head straight to your nearest sexologist or gynaecologist and explain your situation along with the exact date and time of your unprotected sex. A range of tests may be advised along with PEP (Post Exposure Prophylaxis) to prevent possible HIV infection. PEP is effective only when taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.