New Gonorrhea Prevention and Treatment Techniques
This work helps to fill the gap in research on preventing and treating gonorrhea in women.
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is common in the U.S. and even more prevalent in the developing world. As with many STIs, patients with gonorrhea are also at a higher risk of HIV transmission.
Gonorrhea a Threat to Women
Most men infected with gonorrhea exhibit early symptoms, while many women remain asymptomatic. If untreated, gonorrhea can spread into the uterus and fallopian tubes, leading to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID affects more than one million women in the U.S. each year, and it can cause tubal (ectopic) pregnancy and infertility.
While the disease is curable, there are indications that it is becoming drug resistant.
Little Female-Specific Data
Very little research has been conducted on gonorrhea in women, yet it is known that the receptors and the immune defenses differ between men and women. USU researcher Ann Jerse, Ph.D., has developed a successful pre-clinical infection model to study gonorrhea in women. She also is working with private industry partners to test new preventive measures and therapeutics.
Jerse and her team focus on translational research, which covers a broad spectrum of approaches to preventing and treating the disease, including potential vaccines. They seek to understand how gonococci establish infection while evading the natural defenses of the genital tract.
They also are looking at host factors to see if there are other ways to fight the disease. Topical administration of naturally produced anti-microbial peptides is one such possibility.
Jerse and her team are testing new preventive techniques developed by private industry to help women protect themselves. Early results show that several vaginal microbicides, which could be incorporated into spermicides or lubricants, are effective at preventing transmission. These types of preventive products would be a significant advance in women's health.