New Bacteria Strain Is Striking Gay Men

[Graeme]

New Bacteria Strain Is Striking Gay Men (Source: The New York Times)

 

A new, highly drug-resistant strain of the “flesh-eating” MRSA bacteria is being spread among gay men in San Francisco and Boston, researchers reported on Monday.

 

In a study published online by the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, the bacteria seemed to be spread most easily through anal intercourse but also through casual skin-to-skin contact and touching contaminated surfaces.

 

The authors warned that unless microbiology laboratories were able to identify the strain and doctors prescribed the proper antibiotic therapy, the infection could soon spread among other groups and become a wider threat.

 

...

Edited January 15, 2008 by Graeme

[JamesSavik]

Great. Wonderful. First a virus, now a bacteria.

 

What's next? A fungus with a fetish for show tunes?

[rich_e]

That is really scary.

[BeaStKid]

That is why I will always use a condom for all intents and purposes....

 

Scary!

 

BeaStKid

[Hylas]

*sigh* More ammo for homophobes.

[Demetz]

When are people going to learn that bare-backing is not meant for random sex?

[FrenchCanadian]

Umm, That's never good news to hear about new potential problems, but it's better for them to know about the existence of those bacteria, at least now they know where to start to eventually treat it.

 

It's shame the homophobe will have another thing to rant about. That is why you never EVER should have any unprotected sex until you're in a relationship, that you know that you're both faithful and that you've been both tested. It's simple but still too many forget about that little but important detail.

 

sacha

[Benji]

Umm, That's never good news to hear about new potential problems, but it's better for them to know about the existence of those bacteria, at least now they know where to start to eventually treat it.

 

It's shame the homophobe will have another thing to rant about. That is why you never EVER should have any unprotected sex until you're in a relationship, that you know that you're both faithful and that you've been both tested. It's simple but still too many forget about that little but important detail.

 

sacha

 

 

......The fact that this "disease" or "affliction" is more prevalent amoungst the gay community will certainly give fire power to the bible thumping homophobes. I wonder how long it will take before it spreads to the "general" population? Yes, definately another reason to not engage in unprotected sex.

[corvus]

That really sucks. And casual skin to skin contact? Contaminated surfaces? The whole toilet seat thing is going to come true...

[Adrian Michaels]

Fantastic, a gay flesh eating disease.... *sigh*

 

People need to just keep it in their pants.

[Graeme]

......The fact that this "disease" or "affliction" is more prevalent amoungst the gay community will certainly give fire power to the bible thumping homophobes.

I was thinking of this yesterday and there's a quick and easy response. Child mortality is a lot higher in Africa than it is in the USA. Does that mean God hates African children? Of course not! It's the circumstance they find themselves -- don't confuse cause and effect. This is reporting a disease that is more prevalent in a small group. The term "gay community" in this situation is not saying "homosexuals", but "that subset of homosexuals that live in a particular area and engage in particular activities". Why do they do those particular activities? Because they are clinging together against what is perceived as a hostile (or not particularly friendly and accepting) general society.

[Masked Monkey]

ok, I actually read the study article. The only pertinant risk factor is men who have sex with men. The authors specifically state that because this was not a controlled study, but merely came from test results and chart reviews, they have know way of determining the details of sexual contact that result in risk. To put more bluntly, there is nothing in the study to indicate that condom use makes you more or less safe.

 

Since almost all staph infections are caused by skin-skin contact, and hospital-associated MRSA outbreaks are almost universally started by heath care workers not washing their hands after using the bathroom, and spread by not washing their hands between patients, I suspect the issue goes beyond simply using a condom.

 

People don't like to talk about it, but sex tends to be messy. Anal sex tends to be even worse from a microbial standpoint. While condoms are good for preventing semen based pathogen transfer, they are much less effective at preventing the spread of diseases that are not passed by what leaves the urethra during ejaculation, or caused by what may enter the urethra. Lube is not antiseptic ( thank Jeebus), and lube does not tend to stay simply on the condom. Think about it ... unless you are boring like me, you don't stay in one position, you add lube, you tend to touch places that may have "contaminated" lube. For the most part, it gets on the sheets, floor, counter, sofa, carpet, sink, refrigerator, oven, washing machine, wall, ceiling ... not to mentions your hands, and groin area.

 

Bottom line, until further studies are done, minimally safer sex practices should also include washing with soap and water after doing "whatever."

 

As for the phobes and religious assholes ... one more arrow in the quiver of insults and accusations isn't gonna make all that much difference in the long run.

 

Just my $1.25

 

:king: Dr. Mr. Snow "Snoopy" Dog

[rknapp]

That really sucks. And casual skin to skin contact? Contaminated surfaces? The whole toilet seat thing is going to come true...

And people wonder why I refuse to crap in public restrooms, with the exception of the one at work since I would otherwise have to hold it for eight hours at a time.

[FrenchCanadian]

People don't like to talk about it, but sex tends to be messy. Anal sex tends to be even worse from a microbial standpoint. While condoms are good for preventing semen based pathogen transfer, they are much less effective at preventing the spread of diseases that are not passed by what leaves the urethra during ejaculation, or caused by what may enter the urethra. Lube is not antiseptic ( thank Jeebus), and lube does not tend to stay simply on the condom. Think about it ... unless you are boring like me, you don't stay in one position, you add lube, you tend to touch places that may have "contaminated" lube. For the most part, it gets on the sheets, floor, counter, sofa, carpet, sink, refrigerator, oven, washing machine, wall, ceiling ... not to mentions your hands, and groin area.

 

Bottom line, until further studies are done, minimally safer sex practices should also include washing with soap and water after doing "whatever."

 

As for the phobes and religious assholes ... one more arrow in the quiver of insults and accusations isn't gonna make all that much difference in the long run.

 

Just my $1.25

 

:king: Dr. Mr. Snow "Snoopy" Dog

:blink: I had never really pay much attention at all that messy stuff. But I gotta say that usually after doing stuff with another guy it ends up with a mess and I have to wash.

 

Now I'm unsure of what I'll say, but I remember having read that, say you got f**ked (sorry, couldn't find another way to express it), that you want to clean yourself,, well the soap irritates the skin there and you get more risk of infection getting in. Like I said, I'm not sure, I wouldn't bet on it.

[Tiger]

When are people going to learn that bare-backing is not meant for random sex?

My guess is never. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If you want to bareback, wait until you're in an LTR of at least 6 months. After 6 months, get tested. Even with those precautions, you must be certain that your partner has NOT been with anyone else. And gentlemen, don't forget that condoms can break. Therefore, you need to always be cautious. Get tested on a regular basis unless you haven't had any in a while.

 

This new bacteria sounds scary. MRSA strains can be deadly. Both my father and grandfather died (in part) because they had MRSA and sudomonis. MRSA is highly infectious. If this strain gets into hospitals, there will be some serious problems. Hospitals are notorious for spreading MRSA, because some of the medical staff fails to use proper hand washing techniques.

[scoopny]

So we should be sure to wash up afterwards? I think that can only add to the fun!

[colinian]

Here's an article from today's (1/15/2008) San Francisco Chronicle (http://www.sfgate.com/flat/archive/2008/01...DB6D.html?tsp=1) about the staph infection, its source, and how it's not exclusively a gay disease. Spreading of this bacteria is more prevalent in the SF gay community (this article was written with a SF focus) because of more sex with a variety of partners and lots of skin-to-skin contact, and failure to follow good hygiene practices. There are some pix, and links to two other articles. This is the same staph variant that causes the "flesh-eating disease" there was a lot of publicity about a couple of years ago.

 

Recommendations to help each person avoid the infection include showering immediately after having sex, and washing hands thoroughly and regularly.

 

Colin

[colinian]

If this strain gets into hospitals, there will be some serious problems. Hospitals are notorious for spreading MRSA, because some of the medical staff fails to use proper hand washing techniques.

This strain variant is already in hospitals. See the link to the SF Chronicle article in my post above.

 

Colin

[Tiger]

This strain variant is already in hospitals. See the link to the SF Chronicle article in my post above.

 

Colin

This is serious. People are going to die. According to this Mayo Clinic website article, "Although vancomycin saves lives, it may grow resistant as well; some hospitals are already seeing outbreaks of vancomycin-resistant MRSA."

 

Vancomycin is one of the most powerful IV antibiotics in existence. This strain sounds like it may be that serious.

[Razor]

Staph spreads like wildfire because people do not wash their hands. After you go and touch ANYTHING that ANYONE touches on a regular basis, wash your hands.

 

If you go into a grocery store, touch a shopping cart, then scratch your face... BAM. You just did something really, really stupid and you may very well end up with a nice staph infection as a result. Staph is extremely common, and the best way to protect yourself is changing your behavior. Wash your hands frequently. Avoid touching/scratching exposed skin throughout the day.

 

By the way, not having sex with people who have sores on their body from staph would be a good idea, too.

 

 

Vancomycin is badass, I will agree. It is usually the drug of last resort for infections like staph, because it's damned bad for you. Toxicity and patient reaction must be closely monitored, thus the hesitance to use it. Lately it seems like they've been pulling out the newer antibiotics more and more often. Things like clindamycin are becoming more common. Back in the day, methicillin, bactrim, or doxycycline would do the trick with no problem.

 

Once again, the singular best protection is washing your hands frequently with antibacterial soap. If you have never had a staph infection, you will definitely want to continue that. They are painful, ugly, and sometimes very dangerous. They also spread like crazy if you are unfortunate enough to get one that is resistant to the antibiotics your doctor prescribes, and at that point you may be in for an expensive and time consuming hospital stay.

[Jack Scribe]

Staph spreads like wildfire because people do not wash their hands. After you go and touch ANYTHING that ANYONE touches on a regular basis, wash your hands...frequently with antibacterial soap.

One place to be alert is the gym. I noticed that my 24 Hour Fitness gym recently installed anti-bacterial wipe dispensers in areas close to hand weights and the machines.

 

Statistically, over 50% of the male population don't wash hands after using a toilet! Any many who do just pass their hands under the water.

 

Here's a great rule of thumb: lather up with soap and wash you hands while singing (to yourself ) the Happy Birthday song. It's approximately 20 seconds long. This is the time health services people recommend you take to wash hands.

 

Jack

[scoopny]

By the way, the Centers for Disease Control has issued a "clarification" about the whole new gay superbug.

 

http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/2008/t080116.htm

 

The strains of MRSA described in the recent Annals of Internal Medicine have mostly been identified in certain groups of men who have sex with men (MSM), but have also been found in some persons who are not MSM. It is important to note that the groups of MSM in which these isolates have been described are not representative of all MSM, so conclusions can not be drawn about the prevalence of these strains among all MSM. The groups studied in this report may share other characteristics or behaviors that facilitate spread of MRSA, such as frequent skin-to-skin contact.

 

CDC