Safe sex warning over gonorrhoea

18th April 2016 - A growing number of cases in which gonorrhoea is resistant to antibiotics has prompted a public health warning to practise safe sex.

Public Health England (PHE) says the situation underlines the "very real threat" of antibiotic resistance to doctors' ability to treat infections.

Condoms

PHE says people can help protect themselves by ensuring they use condoms with new or casual partners.

Cases of gonorrhoea being resistant to the antibiotic azithromycin emerged in the north of England in 2014. Since September 2015, further cases have been confirmed in the West Midlands and in the South of England.

According to PHE, which has been monitoring the situation, this takes the total number of cases confirmed in England between November 2014 and April 2016 to 34.

Cases have been confirmed in both heterosexual men and women, as well as in men who have sex with men.

'Untreatable'

Experts say that the strain of gonorrhoea in the current outbreak remains treatable by another antibiotic, ceftriaxone. However, the concern is that if resistance to azithromycin becomes widespread, there is no barrier left to delay resistance to ceftriaxone.

If this was to happen, gonorrhoea could become untreatable.

In a statement, Dr Gwenda Hughes, head of the sexually transmitted infections section at PHE, says: "If strains of gonorrhoea emerge that are resistant to both azithromycin and ceftriaxone, treatment options would be limited as there is currently no new antibiotic available to treat the infection.

"It would be far better to avoid getting or passing on gonorrhoea in the first place. Everyone can significantly reduce their risk by using condoms with all new and casual partners."

Symptoms

Symptoms of gonorrhoea in men usually develop within 2 weeks. Some men and women may not have any symptoms.

Symptoms of gonorrhoea in the penis can cause:

• A yellowish, white or green discharge
• A burning feeling, especially when urinating
• Swelling of the foreskin.

In the vagina, gonorrhoea can cause:

• A change in the discharge
• A burning feeling when urinating
• Bleeding between periods.