Super gonorrhoea cases detected in UK as expert shares how to treat STI symptoms

Practicing safe sex can help protect you and your partner against sexually transmissible infections (STIs).

Many people with STIs don't necessarily get symptoms so it's worth getting tested even if you feel fine.

Now a super gonorrhoea could spark concerns after it was first detected in England back in 2016.

While there have only been 12 cases in those six years, the most recent infection was found in the last few months.

This includes a woman in her 20s in London and a couple around the same age in the Midlands this month.

Now Daily Star has spoken to Dr Manoj Malu, Director and Founder of Clarewell Clinics, to find out more information.

The new strain of gonorrhoea is resistant to the most common antibiotic (ceftriaxone) used for its treatment in the UK.

Ceftriaxone-resistance is more common in Asia and the Pacific regions, but fortunately it is still very rare in the UK.

Therefore super gonorrhoea is more likely to be seen in those who travelled abroad or acquired the infection from other countries.

However, this isn't to say that things might not change in the future.

It's worth remembering that most STIs, like chlamydia, gonorrhoea and trichomonas vaginalis, don't often display any symptoms.

You should always be aware you could have an STI with no symptoms and if you think you have put yourself at risk, get checked.

If you're experiencing symptoms, those presented by super gonorrhoea and the common strain are very much the same.

For men this could be irritation in the waterpipe, pain passing urine and discharge, while women might experience pelvic pain.

When we think about STIs, we associate it with the genitalia when women can get infections in the back of their throats.

We need to also consider oral sex as you can also pass on infections this way make sure you get your throat checked too.

Recommended antibiotics for gonorrhoea are currently administered as an injection.

Multi-resistant gonorrhoea (super-gonorrhoea) is fortunately still rare in the UK.

Someone with gonorrhoea is most likely to have common gonorrhoea and should be cured in no time with the correct antibiotics.

If you get super gonorrhoea, your doctors will know how to treat it with extra visits to the clinic and other courses of medication.

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But if you adopt safe sex with regular testing, there's no reason why you can't avoid the infection.

Every STI can be managed and people can live a normal life, so don't bury your head in the sand.

In Clarewell Clinics doctors can detect gonorrhoea within three hours and deliver treatment the same day.

Remember when you get your STI test done to include a throat swab test for gonorrhoea as well.

You may need to request and highlight the need for a throat swab as well if you fear you have super-gonorrhoea.

Specialist sexual health clinics would do oral swabs for chlamydia and gonorrhoea as a matter of routine.

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