With reports of rising rates of drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhea globally, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) urges governments to prioritize sexually transmitted infections on their public health agendas and promote condom use to prevent STIs versus an over-reliance on antibiotics to treat them post-exposure. Neisseria gonorrhea is exceptionally dangerous due to its resistance to multiple treatments, including new antibiotics being developed specifically for this pathogen.

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The "Gonorrhea Alert" billboards, part of an ongoing outdoor advertisement campaign launched by AHF in the U.S., urges the public to visit the www.FreeSTDCheck.org website to learn more about the disease and find locations to access free testing and affordable care in the U.S. for the treatment of sexually transmitted infections. (Photo: Business Wire)

“We’ve seen a worrisome trend worldwide of increasing STI cases, particularly gonorrhea and syphilis, for some time – a trend that will be extremely difficult to reverse if these harmful yet preventable conditions continue becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotic treatments,” said AHF Senior Global Medical Director Dr. Adele Schwartz Benzaken. “Condoms are still the most cost-effective way to prevent gonorrhea, syphilis, and other STIs, including HIV – a fact people everywhere should be made aware of. That starts with information campaigns at all levels of government in all countries and ensuring adequate access to free or affordable condoms. Those actions and early detection through robust testing programs are pivotal for turning the tide in the response against sexually transmitted infections.”

AHF has long warned of this drug-resistant strain of gonorrhea, prompting it to launch its “Gonorrhea Alert” outdoor advertisement campaign in the U.S. more than five years ago. Over 82 million new cases of Neisseria gonorrhea are reported in adults between the ages of 15 to 49 annually, according to the World Health Organization.

About AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a global non-profit organization providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to over 1.6 million people in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Europe. We are currently the largest non-profit provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the world. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare

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