Some Cases of Gonorrhea Are Now Untreatable Due to Drug Resistance

Some cases of the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea are now untreatable due to resistance to antibiotics, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Every time we use a new class of antibiotics to treat the infection, the bacteria evolve to resist them,” said WHO medical officer Dr. Teodora Wi in a statement.

About 78 million people get gonorrhea infections every year, according to the WHO, which also notes complications from the STI have a larger impact on women.

Complications of #gonorrhoea disproportionally affect women: pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy & infertility, ↑ risk of #HIV

— WHO (@WHO) July 7, 2017

WHO Director of Antimicrobial Resistance Dr. Marc Sprenger said in a statement that corralling the infection requires new tools for better prevention, new antibiotics, and in the future, a vaccine against gonorrhea.