Be wary of STI resistance to antibiotics
The World Health Organization issued new treatment guidelines last week for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis as the STIs have become more resistant to antibiotics.
The WHO credits misuse and overuse of antibiotics and late diagnoses for the drug-resistant strains. They are “calling on countries to start using the updated guidelines immediately” as these STIs can cause infertility, miscarriage or stillbirth for pregnant women, and even death. People infected with chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis are also two to three times more likely to become infected with HIV.
While STIs are becoming immune to medication, health officials are also seeing an increase in the number of cases per year. Officials in Las Vegas declared an outbreak of syphilis in February of this year after documenting a 128 percent increase in cases since 2012.
The majority of cases involved men who had sex with men, according to The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada. As a result, officials have focused educational outreach on queer websites and dating sites like Adam4Adam and Grindr.
Since queer folks are less likely to have health insurance than their straight counterparts, condom and other barrier contraceptives are more important than ever. For a fun guide on how to wrap it before you pack it, check out the extremely talented Erika Moen and her webcomics on anal sex safety and condom use.
