Clinics in Thailand target antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea

GENEVA: -- Nobody wants to face the worry and stigma of being sick with gonorrhoea or another sexually transmitted infection. But until recently, being diagnosed with gonorrhoea may not have seemed so frightening because the illness could be cured by taking a single antibiotic injection or pill.

This may soon change. Gonorrhoea is on a growing list of infections that may soon become untreatable. Gonococci – the bacteria which cause the infection – are becoming increasingly resistant to the antibiotics that formerly killed them. Multidrug-resistant gonorrhoea has been reported in 36 countries.

“Ten countries have already reported cases of gonorrhoea that do not respond to the current treatment recommendations. Gonorrhoea may soon become untreatable because no vaccines or new drugs are in development,” says Dr Marleen Temmerman, Director of the Department of Reproductive Health and Research at WHO.

“Gonorrhoea may soon become untreatable because no vaccines or new drugs are in development.”
Dr Marleen Temmerman, Director, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, WHO

Untreated gonorrhoea can result in serious illness and complications, such as infertility in women, pregnancy complications, and blindness for babies who get infected during birth.

Efforts in Thailand

To prevent the spread of gonorrhoea, including the drug-resistant type, it is vital that people get diagnosed and receive appropriate care promptly. Yet people can be reluctant to seek medical help for symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) like gonorrhoea if they feel embarrassed or ashamed.

Full story: http://www.who.int/features/2015/thailand-gonorrhoea/en/

-- World Health Organization 2015-11-12

And yet, the local will continue not to use condoms as it is unmanly to use one... do they care? not really, do they know

any better? they do, but than again, they're Thais, Mai pen rai.....

"Nobody wants to face the worry and stigma of being sick with gonorrhoea or another sexually transmitted infection."

Once again Thailand's approach is closing the barn door after the cows have escaped. They are talking about diagnosing and treating and NOTHING about prevention. For that would mean that they would have to actually talk about sex.

It has been proven that the best way to address this issue is for parents to discuss with their children, and for the school system to teach about responsible sex and STDs, and how to prevent unwanted pregnancies and STDs through use of safe sexual practices. However, in the west there still remains a strong core of "moralists" who believes that it is better to ignore the issue of sex, and adolescents will never have sex, get pregnant, and STDs will not be a problem. This appears to be the most common approach in Thailand, although there have been successes in sexual education in small segments of Thai society. Until there is a major cultural change nationally, this problem in not going away.

Edited November 12, 201510 yr by jaltsc

One of the biggest problems here is NO STD clinics. The typical Thai denial put's the population at HUGE risk as Thailand lags, again, 50 year behind most other countries

It is mainly due to the fact you can buy anti-biotics over the counter here. Resistance has been building for decades.

And yet, the local will continue not to use condoms as it is unmanly to use one... do they care? not really, do they know

any better? they do, but than again, they're Thais, Mai pen rai.....

Plenty of western men do the same thing, whether in their home country or in Thailand.

I caught this when I was 19 in the UK, that was back in 1982. In those days you went to a local hospital STD clinic and they told you to come back in a week. That week was agony, then when you went back in a weeks time they gave you 2 pills and you were cured within a couple of hours.

Years later I came to know a doctor at that hospital, I asked why the week wait, why not just give the pill on the first visit.. his answer was that it was deliberate to make you suffer, as a deterrent against future infection.

Here in Thailand it's too easy, a trip to any clinic and you are cured for 500 baht.

One of the biggest problems here is NO STD clinics. The typical Thai denial put's the population at HUGE risk as Thailand lags, again, 50 year behind most other countries

I remember back in the 80s and 90s it seemed like there was an STD clinic on every corner, seriously. I remember there was oner right inside Nana Plaza, I think there was one on Cowboy and I am pretty sure there were a couple of them on Patpong.

So, they were ahead of everyone else back them. I wonder what happened to them all.

Also, back in the early nineties, Thailand was at the forefront of AIDS/HIV education and the promotion of safe sex, and managed to bring what was a looming major epidemic on the scale of the worst hit African countries largely under control, an effort led by Meechai Viravaidya.

Obviously there has been a lot of backsliding and apathy since then, which is a shame.

Yes that Thainess rubbish gets thrown out the door with those girls

They <deleted> anything that pays and will video and the works

They are terrible and I can see how this bug has blown up to KING KONG

This is a warning to all use condoms

and the ROOTS of the problem is WHERE.

the fact that most Thai doctors give antibiotics to everyone that walks in for treatment is the main reason for drug resistance.

If you have a cold, most of the time antibiotics are of no effect as they do not combat the cold or flu virus. Unless you have a sinus or lung infection there is no point in taking antibiotics but the doctors still prescribe them like candy.

What the hell do you expect?

Blame the doctors.

Better to lose your face than your d..k

they feel embarrassed or ashamed.

Better to loose your face than your d..ck !

On the Pattaya Monger Forums ,condom use is looked at with deresion and scorn.

Edited November 12, 201510 yr by anto

Treat it with a cephalosporin...there are many to pick from. Hyperbolic nonsense.

It is mainly due to the fact you can buy anti-biotics over the counter here. Resistance has been building for decades.

Rather than 'over the counter sales' (which are normally done only by a true pharmacist), two important elements contributing to resistance to anti-biotics which, IMO, should be taken care of are: 1) most Thais don't finish their antbiotics treatment, as soon as the symptoms are, about, gone, they stop taking their medication, highly contributing to growing resistance, and adding to the growing number of 'sound carriers' of diseases, like STDs, f.i.; 2) with the exception of a few serious pharmacy chains (well, let's hope), many medications sold in pharmacy-like shops, there really 'over the counter', are (cheaply bought) copies (a lot from India), with little or no active elements (sometimes even just plain toxic), what should be considered as criminal.

For what Gonorrhoea, and other common STDs (AIDS aside), are concerned it would be 'interesting' to have ALL sexworkers (from bars, karaokes, massages, ...other known 'venues') tested MONTHLY (the system exists, but TiT), and not only with a basic 'bloodtest', but much more effectively by having a culture made from a sample of vaginal fluids AND saliva, but as that kind of lab facility is not available in many State hospitals...

"Nobody wants to face the worry and stigma of being sick with gonorrhoea or another sexually transmitted infection."

Once again Thailand's approach is closing the barn door after the cows have escaped. They are talking about diagnosing and treating and NOTHING about prevention. For that would mean that they would have to actually talk about sex.

It has been proven that the best way to address this issue is for parents to discuss with their children, and for the school system to teach about responsible sex and STDs, and how to prevent unwanted pregnancies and STDs through use of safe sexual practices. However, in the west there still remains a strong core of "moralists" who believes that it is better to ignore the issue of sex, and adolescents will never have sex, get pregnant, and STDs will not be a problem. This appears to be the most common approach in Thailand, although there have been successes in sexual education in small segments of Thai society. Until there is a major cultural change nationally, this problem in not going away.

Cheap Thai bashing remark.

Best you take the message to the USA and other Western countries and bash them for "failure"

http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats/sti-estimates-fact-sheet-feb-2013.pdf

the fact that most Thai doctors give antibiotics to everyone that walks in for treatment is the main reason for drug resistance.

If you have a cold, most of the time antibiotics are of no effect as they do not combat the cold or flu virus. Unless you have a sinus or lung infection there is no point in taking antibiotics but the doctors still prescribe them like candy.

What the hell do you expect?

Blame the doctors.

It's not that easy. They give antibiotics to prevent a super-infection which is easy to obtain in this climate. Correct me if i'm wong, but it makes sense. No?

And yet, the local will continue not to use condoms as it is unmanly to use one... do they care? not really, do they know

any better? they do, but than again, they're Thais, Mai pen rai.....

The locals will continue not to use condoms? Why do you exclude the visitors from your bash, do they all use protection?

Edited November 12, 201510 yr by Alration

One of the biggest problems here is NO STD clinics. The typical Thai denial put's the population at HUGE risk as Thailand lags,again, 50 year behind most other countries

What? There are two mentioned in the bloody OP and every hospital in Thailand is an STD clinic also. There is no "Thai denial", read the report, Thai clinics are doing something positive.

It is mainly due to the fact you can buy anti-biotics over the counter here. Resistance has been building for decades.

This is nothing to do with drug availability in Thailand, this is a WHO report that mentions Thailand's efforts in the fight against this disease.

Why don't most posters read the full OP before letting their ridiculous rhetoric loose on the rest of us? This is not a report on the disease in Thailand per se, it is a WHO international report on the infection worldwide. Thailand is only mentioned because it is actually trying to do something positive about it, not because it's the gonorrhoea capital of the world.

"Nobody wants to face the worry and stigma of being sick with gonorrhoea or another sexually transmitted infection."

Once again Thailand's approach is closing the barn door after the cows have escaped. They are talking about diagnosing and treating and NOTHING about prevention. For that would mean that they would have to actually talk about sex.

It has been proven that the best way to address this issue is for parents to discuss with their children, and for the school system to teach about responsible sex and STDs, and how to prevent unwanted pregnancies and STDs through use of safe sexual practices. However, in the west there still remains a strong core of "moralists" who believes that it is better to ignore the issue of sex, and adolescents will never have sex, get pregnant, and STDs will not be a problem. This appears to be the most common approach in Thailand, although there have been successes in sexual education in small segments of Thai society. Until there is a major cultural change nationally, this problem in not going away.

Cheap Thai bashing remark.

Best you take the message to the USA and other Western countries and bash them for "failure"

http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats/sti-estimates-fact-sheet-feb-2013.pdf

Perhaps, due to your selective reading, where you only look for what you consider Thai bashing, you overlooked the sentence: "However, in the west there still remains a strong core of "moralists" who believes that it is better to ignore the issue of sex, and adolescents will never have sex, get pregnant, and STDs will not be a problem. "

I specifically pointed out that this is an international problem. However you appear to be unable to get beyond what appears to be your Peace Corp mentality, obsessed with being the savior and spokesperson for those you believe are the white man's burden.

I accept your apology in advance.

Edited November 12, 201510 yr by jaltsc

It is mainly due to the fact you can buy anti-biotics over the counter here. Resistance has been building for decades.

My wife has antibiotics sent over to the UK from Thailand and takes a couple if she doesn't feel well. I've sat her down and explained the dangers of doing this but she still continues take them ad hoc. Thai ppl know best - when our son had a cold she took him to the doctors and was furious he wouldn't give him antibiotics.

Not just gonorrhoea. MDR tuberculosis is a big problem in lots of countries these days too.