Brits planning a holiday overseas have been issued a warning amid a rise in “difficult-to-treat” infections. An update reported a rise in “drug-resistant” sexually transmitted infections (STIs) linked to travel abroad.

“An increase in antibiotic-resistant cases of an STI called gonorrhoea in UK travellers has been linked to visiting popular tourist destinations in the Asia-Pacific region, including Cambodia, China, Thailand and Vietnam.

To minimise your risk, Travel Health Pro advised: “Practising safer sex is just as important as applying insect repellent or sunscreen on holiday. Carry condoms and use them consistently and correctly with all new or casual partners.”

This warning was shared by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which said: “When enjoying holidays overseas, practising safer sex is just as important as getting travel insurance or applying sunscreen. STIs can pose a serious risk to health, so there is a need to use condoms consistently and correctly with all new or casual partners.

“There’s a concerning upward trend of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea infections, particularly in popular tourist destinations across the Asia-Pacific region. This includes countries such as Thailand, China, Cambodia and Vietnam. These infections are sometimes called ‘super-gonorrhoea’ in the media.”

Symptoms

Not everyone gets symptoms of gonorrhoea, but if you do get symptoms, they usually start around two weeks after infection. However, they sometimes do not appear until many months later.

Symptoms in women can include:

Symptoms in men can include:

• Burning pain when you pee
• Fluid or discharge coming out of your penis
• Sore testicles

According to the NHS, gonorrhoea can affect other parts of your body that come into contact with semen or vaginal fluid. This can cause:

• Pain, itching and discharge from your anus
• A sore throat
• Eye redness, pain and discharge

You should go to a sexual health clinic or see a GP if:

• You or a sexual partner think you might have gonorrhoea
• You or a sexual partner have had sex without a condom
• You’re pregnant or planning to get pregnant and think you might have gonorrhoea
  

How to prevent the spread

The NHS said: “There are some things you can do to avoid getting gonorrhoea and spreading it to others.” It therefore recommended you:

• Use condoms when you have vaginal or anal sex
• Use condoms to cover the penis or a latex or plastic square (dam) to cover the vagina if you have oral sex
• Get tested once a year, or if you have a new sexual partner
• Complete the full treatment if you or your sexual partner have gonorrhoea
• Get vaccinated if you’re offered the MenB vaccine for gonorrhoea
• Do not share sex toys (if you do, wash and cover them with a new condom before anyone else uses them)

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