As rates of sexually transmitted diseases continue to rise nationally, specialists reveal some are growing resistant to antibiotic treatments.
In the latest issue of Australian Prescriber Catriona Ooi and David Lewis from the Western Sydney Sexual Health Centre write of the increasing concern around Gonorrhoea’s growing resistance to antibiotic treatments in Australia.
“Growing antimicrobial resistance to treatments for N. gonorrhoeae has been documented in Australia and there are concerns about treating this organism in the future,” write Ooi and Lewis.
The contraction rate of Gonorrhoea has “almost doubled between 2008 and 2012” according to the medical industry publication.
“Doctors are particularly concerned about newly acquired HIV, gonorrhoea and syphilis in Australia,” said Dr Ooi on Monday.
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“More needs to be done to prevent, identify and effectively treat infections.”
Gonorrhoea affects both men and women but can often lack symptoms in women, and if left untreated can cause infertility later on in life.
“GPs have an important role in caring for patients with sexually transmitted infections, in educating patients about unsafe sex, and encouraging regular screening for people at risk of infection,” said Ooi and Lewis.
“The whole community needs to acknowledge and tackle the rising rates of sexually transmitted infection.”
