An unusually high number of Mainers have been diagnosed this year with gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease that’s grown stubbornly resistant to treatment.
Through Oct. 31, Maine recorded 370 cases of gonorrhea, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s a jump from 272 cases in all of last year and nearly four times the number of cases in 2008.
The incidence of gonorrhea has steadily risen in Maine over the last four years. It’s a troubling trend, coinciding with an ever-shrinking arsenal of drugs at doctors’ disposal to treat the increasingly drug-resistant disease.
Today, just one remaining antibiotic is reliably effective against the infection. Meanwhile, a “superbug” strain of gonorrhea that’s becoming untreatable has spread across Europe. One of the most common infectious diseases, gonorrhea is sounding public health alarms globally.
In 2012, most of the cases in Maine have arisen among those ages 20-29 in Cumberland, Androscoggin and York counties, particularly women, who are vulnerable to serious reproductive complications.
“We have noticed the uptick,” said Megan Hannan, Maine director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.
Health care providers are required to report new cases of gonorrhea to health officials. The state CDC is exploring small pockets where the disease has spread to learn what factors correspond to higher risk this year, including race, gender and types of sexual partnerships.
“It’s not just Maine,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Stephen Sears. “There’s been an increase in sexually transmitted diseases in many parts of the country. I’m not sure if I know all of the reasons. Usually we find subpopulations that the disease is propagating in.”
In August, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines for how doctors should treat gonorrhea, scrambling to keep pace with the increasingly drug-resistant disease. The guidelines were an update to recommendations issued in 2010.
Caused by the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacterium, gonorrhea was, for years, treated with common antibiotics including penicillin and tetracycline. Wide use of those drugs for a variety of infections, coupled with the rapid mutation of some strains, has over time rendered those antibiotics ineffective for warding off gonorrhea.
Now, officials recommend just one remaining drug proven effective against the disease, an injectable antibiotic called ceftriaxone. Another drug in the same class that formerly wiped out gonorrhea, the oral antibiotic cefixime, appears to be losing its potency.
The CDC’s new guidelines advise physicians to stop treating gonorrhea with cefixime as their first course of action. Doctors are now recommended to pair the injectable ceftriaxone with one of two other oral antibiotics before resorting to cefixime.
Health officials hope the new guidelines will stave off a time when gonorrhea can’t be treated with either ceftriaxone or cefixime.
“Around the country, [gonorrhea] has a notorious habit of becoming resistant to whatever we’re treating it with,” Sears said.
In men, common symptoms of gonorrhea include a burning sensation while urinating and discharge from the penis. In women, symptoms may be mild or nonspecific, and may include a painful or burning sensation when urinating or increased vaginal discharge.
Some people experience no symptoms at all and are unaware they have gonorrhea, boosting the risk of complications and of spreading the disease to others.
Women can suffer serious reproductive complications from gonorrhea, including inflammation of the Fallopian tubes that can lead to sterility and dangerous ectopic pregnancy, Sears said.
“We have seen more women, that’s been one of our concerns,” he said.
The infection can be spread by contact with the mouth, vagina, penis, or anus. It most commonly affects the genitals, but can also infect the eyes and throat.
Practicing safe sex can limit gonorrhea’s spread, Sears said.
“Using barrier protection is a good way to prevent exposure,” he said.
Gonorrhea, now resistant to most drugs, on the rise in Maine….
By Jackie Farwell, BDN Staff Posted Dec. 06, 2012, at 3:22 p.m. ” Dr. Stephen Sears, Maine state epidemiologist
“An unusually high number of Mainers have been diagnosed this year with gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease that’s grown stubbornly resistant to treatment.”
Gee, if these people were engaged in typical heterosexual monogamous relationships they might not have had this potentially deadly experience……
Sorry buddy, STDs don’t discriminate based on gender or sexual orientation. There are plenty of homosexual polyamorists out there who have no problem avoiding diseases.
Bummer for all involved, really, I am sorry for them.
hahaha!
And you would include hetero & homo monogamous relationships where one partner didn’t know, since symptoms are not always obvious. It’s not deviance that causes STI transmission, it’s generally not knowing because one did not get tested, and not using barriers (condoms, dental dams, etc). Gay, straight, bi, monogamous or not, protect yourself and your partner – USE A CONDOM (or dental dam) EVERY TIME. And get tested annually or before starting a new relationship.
I agree with all the but the heterosexual part.
“Using barrier protection is a good way to prevent exposure,” he said.
Wow, that’s revolutionary. Does quitting smoking help prevent lung cancer too?
2012 and people are still having unprotected sex with strangers. Ignorance just isn’t an excuse anymore. *headsmack* :
FACT; Smoking does not cause lung cancer.
No, of course not. How silly of me.
Yep… smoking doesn’t cause it…. Inhaling does!
It is a known fact, smoking has never caused cancer. Not one case. Lung disease maybe but not cancer.
My heavily smoking grandmother must have had everyone fooled. “C’mon grammy everyone knows smoking doesn’t cause cancer… get up!”
Not that I know, but you might want to read http://www.emedicinehealth.com/lung_cancer/page2_em.htm
pushingtheredbutton causes brain damage
You are completely and totally wrong.
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lung_cancer
Only a fool would actually believe smoking has never caused lung cancer.
Very true, but you might want to reference something besides wikipedia.
I found so many different sites which all say the same thing. I wanted to keep it simple, if you get my drift. It also seems several other folks have provided sites which unequivically dispute “pushtheredbutton” claims.
“Tar when in the lungs coats the cilia causing them to stop working and eventually die, causing such conditions as lung cancer as the toxic particles in ….tobacco…” WIKI
Try this citation…..http://articles.cnn.com/1996-10-17/health/9610_17_nfm_smoking.gun_1_gerd-pfeifer-lung-cancer-tobacco-smoke-causes-lung?_s=PM:HEALTH
You don’t happen to work for a tobacco company do you? lol
Not that I know, but, you might want to read http://www.emedicinehealth.com/lung_cancer/page2_em.htm
Maybe on the planet you live on.
Not sure what your smoking but put it down and educate yourself.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/cessation
OMG you are right, smoking does not cause lung cancer. It causes uterine cancer. But its still cancer and who wants that in the body. I’m glad you straightened us out on this fact. Gonorrhea is so much worse then cancer to have. I will have to make a foot note of this.
And there’s no such thing as Global Warming and there are WMD in Iraq.
Yet protection doesn’t protect 100%…just lessens one’s chances. But I hear ya!
Wondering whether FACEBOOK and other social networks have made anon. hookups more possible? Odd thing are contradictory polls showing kids having less sex, postponing marriage, and we all know Maine has the lowest birth rate in the U.S.
So is it more unprotected sex or less or more by infected people who don’t give a damn, or the price of lobsters?
The internet in general – certainly. Facebook isn’t anonymous, so I don’t think that’s an issue in that regard – though as the Nurse says, it certainly has become a place to show off ones ignorance if one is dumb enough to post it. Maybe craigslist type sites? I’ve no expertise, though I’m sure there are sites out there, particularly in big cities, dedicated to anon. hookups.
In any outbreak, the center – the “source” carriers – the high risk, the high frequency types, are always the point from which most disease is spread through, though with every new point on the graph, the odds of a lower risk person being affected grows exponentially. So even “nice” girls and boys can get these presents, 10x (or more) removed from the original source. That’s why it’s always better to be safe than sorry, even in a seemingly low risk situation. Less unwanted pregnancies is of course great too.
In what county was the zumba studio?
All those men put their wives and girlfriends in danger. I hope none of those women stays with men who would put them in jeopardy of getting an STD. Rememer, if you couldn’t trust him not to use a prostitute, how could you trust that he used protection?
There was NO protection in some of the videos I’ve seen. Yikes!
Unprotected anal sex ??
STD’s on the rise.
No way.
I dont believe it.
Aroostook!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That’s comforting…
You sure about that?
It’s called sarcasm…
Come to Bangor where its full of pubs, bars and you will plenty of drunk females looking for one night stands. Courtesy of the Bangor Chamber and old City Council.. The entertainment corridor at your service.. Lets all “clap” for Gonorrhea
You inspired to write a slogan: The clap is nothing to applaud.
I thought the clap was Chlamydia? Either way, it’s nothing to clap about. :/
“Gonorrhea (colloquially known as the clap)” per the Oxford English Dictionary
“Clap for the Wolfman, Said “hey babe, you wanna coo, coo, coo”
she said “ah, ah, ah”
Said “I’m about to overload”
I said, “you’re what I been living for”
She said, “I don’t want to know”
Yes, all those poor guys just trying to have a good time having to fight off the hoards of slutty females. I have NEVER been propositioned at a bar by a complete stranger trying to get me to leave with him….men wouldn’t DREAM of having a one-night stand……(eye roll)
There are more bars per capita in Portland, and more single people according to a recent article.
Bangor doesn’t have a fraction of the bars it did before the 80’s.
Pre 60’s before urban renewal had double what there was in the 80’s.
Small towns like Charleston had 3 or 4 bars. People converted part of their house into a lounge and made their mead in the barn in the early 1800’s
You didn’t notice that the bible belt has the highest rates did you…..
Of course you did…..
Conservatives don’t have Sex? No wonder they’re so angry all of the time.
Too much zumba!
maine zumba-gate probably raised the state’s Gonorrhea rates all by itself.
“Hey there swinging bachelor, tired of the steady drip, drip, drip of gonorrhea?” Try Peter Rooter. Peter Rooter, that’s the name, and away go troubles down the drain. Rotten Peter, Rotten Peter.
Cheech & Chong? Wow… that’s awesome. I’m impressed!
Had to dig back 40 years into the memory banks for that one! lol. I think that I still have the original vinyl album some where.
Good morality makes for good medicine.
I’m sure you get bragging rights spreading STD’s.. The part I find interesting is that people probably don’t know from whom they got it.. The young free love liberals sleep around more than I sleep.. Obama Loves you!!!! XO’s XO’s XO’s
LOL, it looks like a lot of red states are the ones with the highest rates though…
Maybe all the oxycontin and bath salts made it stronger.
“There’s been an increase in sexually transmitted diseases in many parts of the country. I’m not sure if I know all of the reasons. Usually we find subpopulations that the disease is propagating in.”
Are you kidding me? Watched MTV lately? Sleep with whoever and however many people you want. You’re not being easy, you’re just sexually liberated. Look at some public FB profiles of young people. Picture upon picture of drinking, partying, bits and pieces hanging out all over the place…Seriously, STDs are spread by having multiple sex partners. I’m no prude. I am not against partying and having a good time or saying people should only have one sex partner their entire life but there are teenagers out there already with way more notches on the headboard than they should have. And with all the emphasis on getting stoned and drunk (listen to hip hop music and look at the whole culture) well who’s coherent enough to think about using protection or not sleeping around? We’re a very self-indulgent society who doesn’t think twice about instant gratification now and rational thinking later. The spread of an STI shouldn’t be a huge surprise.
Bill LePeter – the last of the deep thinkers.
no glove, no love
Wow ! It appears according to that map above that the Bible belt States have the highest percentages.
Perhaps a message from God about religion. (that and maybe some farm animals)
Morality isn’t just for religious people. Do really think it’s ok to have sex with whom or whatever? Don’t you think there are laws of nature that should be followed, such as don’t stick something into where it doesn’t belong.
Are you referring to the buttock ? We evolved from that to the vagina. Seriously. (evolution) Anyway, I won’t argue that it is inherently unnatural for humans to continue to go that route.
Prehistorically it was only discovered through child birth, in modern times we have discovered it through STD’s. Gonorrhea is but the common cold among the potentiality of the various STD’s out there.
Move along here folks nothing to see.
Guess the NSA sex one gets while cruzin’ craigslist does come with something attatched.
Does anyone know why my comment was flagged? I wrote, good morality makes for good medicine.
Knowledge is a good medicine too. Use a condom.
With all this clab going around I don’t know if I’d put my faith in a piece of latex. I like my response better, good morality makes for good medicine.
I love how Washington DC has an astronomical rate of 350.9 in the map. Such is the legacy of 8 years of Bill Clinton.
Minorities, students, military, metro sexuals, the heat, good dance clubs….it all adds up….just think of how much money came in from ‘renting’ the Lincoln bedrooms to Clinton cronies and fat cat celebrity donors?
Unfortunately STD’s have been tagged as associated with an increase of male homosexual promiscuity by the Centers for Disease Control; so much so they are calling it an epidemic. So far no one is suggesting a return to making sodomy a crime; but the link to STD’s is very strong.
We get it, you are obsessed about the fact that gays and lesbians exist.
No, we’re not going to put them all in prison because you think their sex is icky.
Yeah… that’s why it’s spreading so badly in the buybull belt, huh?
Maybe if we stopped using so much cephalosporins in chicken feed, resistance would be less of an issue.