Gonorrhea H041 "The Superbug" - What You Need to Know

You say “super” before any STD and it’s enough to make people worry. Here’s what you need to know about Gonorrhea H041.

ABC News had reported about an antibiotic resistant strain of gonorrhea back in July 2011.  So I was a bit surprised to see the sudden media dash around H041.  Especially the focus on sensationalism instead of some good old fashion “condom sense.”

Luckily for us, the Center for Disease Control(CDC) has no time for hysteria and rumors, and began an investigation to these wild claims.  It was originally reported by CNBC that health officials were claiming that strains of H041 where being found in California, Hawaii and Norway.  The article has since made the correction with this statement:

(Correction: The statement that H041 was found in places beyond Japan is incorrect, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gonorrhea strains resistant to a certain antibiotic not routinely recommended by CDC as a first-line treatment regimen for gonorrhea were detected in Hawaii, but other treatments ultimately cured those infections in follow-up. To date, there have been no treatment failures reported in the U.S.for gonorrhea treated with currently-recommended first-line regimens.

China Daily reports that China’s National Center for AIDS and STD Control and Prevention, have cleared mainland China from containing any H041 strains. However, there have been strains of H041 detected in Japan so caution is well advised for those engaging in sexual activity, especially international travelers. 

The non-H041 strain of Gonorrhea is the most common STD in the United States with an estimated 700,000 new cases each year. Outside of pure abstinence, safe sex practices and regular condom use are your best bet at preventing H041 as well as a host of other STDs.  So wrap it up and protect your junk!  As more information comes out CondomDepot.TV will be the first to deliver you the facts.