CDC revokes recommendation for gonorrhea medication due to resistance concern

Although some individuals who were infected with gonorrhea have been cured with antibiotics, health officials warn that strains of the sexually transmitted disease (STD) are becoming more resistant to medications.

Internal Medicine News recently highlighted this fear, when it reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a statement saying that the drug azithromycin is no longer recommended as a single therapy for gonorrhea due to five identified cases of medication resistance in San Diego, California.

The news provider explained that there was no known connection between the men who were diagnosed with the STD between August and October of 2009, which indicated that instances of resistant strains may be more widespread than health officials suspected.

Therefore, the CDC suggests that individuals who have gonorrhea receive half the normal dose of azithromycin, in combination with a cephalosporin to treat the infection, the news source said.

According to the CDC, more than 3 million Americans are diagnosed with gonorrhea annually. People who go without treatment for the disease may have an increased risk of contracting HIV or experiencing reproductive health problems, the organization notes.