No Smashing In Peace: Four New STDs Emerge That Experts Warn Against

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A Few Of Them Can Cause Some Serious Damage

Just in case gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, chlamydia and of course HIV wasn’t enough, we have a new set of STDs to worry about…

AND THERE’S FOUR OF THEM.

According to New York Daily News, public health officials are closely monitoring new STDs that are not yet common, but could become an issue in the future.

Luckily, each one is curable or at least manageable for now.

The first shmood ruiner is Neisseria meningitides, which is a bacteria that “can cause invasive meningitis, a potentially deadly infection of the brain and spinal cord’s protective membranes,” the health website Mosaic said. “More commonly, it’s gaining a reputation as a cause of urogenital infections.”

N meningitides lives in the back of the nose and throat of between 5% and 10% of adults, according to Mosaic. There’s a chance folks can transmit the bacteria via deep kissing or oral sex. Fortunately, there are vaccines available that can protect against the infection.

The second shag shifter is Mycoplasma genitalium, which is one of the world’s smallest bacteria. Between 1% and 2% of people are infected with this, and most of them are teens and young adults. Most times it doesn’t cause symptoms, however it can irritate the urethra and cervix, similar to gonorrhea and chlamydia. In women, this can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and it’s associated with miscarriages, infertility, premature birth and stillbirth. Antibiotics exist to eradicate the bacteria, however resistant strains are developing, which means it can develop into a super-bug.

Ew.

The third horny hinderer is Shigella flexneri, which one can contract from feces. So for those of you who are into anal play, the bacteria can cause problems. Shigella can result in dysentery, or an infection of the intestines that can cause bloody diarrhea.

Again….ew.

Shigella can also be treated, but it’s starting to become resistant to azithromycin, so that super-bug thingy we mentioned before can come about.

The final bone bruiser is Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV). It’s caused by acute Chlamydia trachomatis strains. According to Mosaic, it’s presence is increasing in Europe and North America, especially among gay and bisexual men. According to a 2016 report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a cluster of cases popped up in Michigan among men who have sex with men. The symptoms can be subtle, however, with a fast-disappearing lesion in the genital area and sometimes the mark can be even less noticeable than that.

So there you have it.

Be safe out here!