Gonorrhea, On Its Way to Becoming Incurable

Thoughts from Courtney Bauer

Gonorrhea is in the class of bacterial sexually transmitted infections. Generally bacterial STIs are easily curable with antibiotics. However they are dangerous if left untreated but, treatment isn’t usually a problem until now. There are now strains of Gonorrhea that only one class of antibiotics will treat! In the past it was able to be treated with multiple classes of antibiotics. The bacteria that causes Gonorrhea has become resistant to all classes of antibiotics except one.

In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control took samples of gonorrhea from people who tested positive for it and found that 27% of those samples were resistant to three different classes of antibiotics. Gonorrhea historically has shown a trend in becoming resistant to antibiotics. So it is likely that eventually gonorrhea will develop a resistance to the last class of antibiotics that can treat it.

Gonorrhea will always remain on the list of bacterial STIs because it is caused by bacteria but, it will not always be curable. This gradual resistance to antibiotics could happen to all bacterial STIs. So make sure that you are always using protection when engaging in sex!

Remember FREE CONDOMS are always available at SBI Health Education in Hayes Annex C on South Campus. Stock up on a summer supply before you go home because gonorrhea doesn’t take a vacation even if you do.