World’s First Gonorrhoea Vaccine to Hit the Market

May 21, 2025
ALEXANDER

World's First Gonorrhoea Vaccine to Hit the Market

Well, we can thank England for leading the fight against STIs among gay and bisexual men. The nation is set to release the first-ever gonorrhoea vaccine to hit the market. The vaccine release is in response to the country's highest number of reported cases of gonorrhoea ever, 85,000 reported infections in 2023. Yikes! That's a lot of sex! The vaccine will not be available for everyone, the focus is on gay and bisexual men who have had an STI or multiple sexual partners. Damn, they know us too well.

The vaccine will be released by NHS England. The National Health Service (NHS) is the publicly funded healthcare system available in England, and one of the four National Health Service systems in the UK. Even though this is a huge step forward in STI treatment, the vaccine is still only 30-40% effective. Estimates suggest that the implementation of the vaccine could prevent up to 100,000 cases and save the NHS over £8m over the next ten years. NHS England will release the gonorrhoea vaccine starting in August. Public Health in Scotland also stated that it would also be working on a rollout. Northern Ireland's Department of Health reported that it would be looking into it for rollout consideration.

A big problem with gonorrhoea is that there aren't always visible symptoms. You may have it and not even know it, so spreading it around can be pretty easy. Those who do experience symptoms can feel pain, strange discharges from the penis, inflammation, and even infertility. England's gonorrhoea vaccine isn't even intended for the STI. It was created to treat meningitis B, but the bacteria that cause both are very similar, and the vaccine has been successful in reducing gonorrhoea by a third. The vaccine will cost around £8 a dose.

Another big issue with the STI is that it has become steadily more difficult to treat. Although usually treated with a round of antibiotics, gonorrhoea has built a resistance over the 80 years it's been around. There is concern that if it evolves even more, it will someday be impossible to treat. In England, the STI is most prevalent in gay and bisexual men aged 16 to 25.

NHS England will take advantage of men getting the new vaccine by offering mpox, HPV, and hepatitis vaccines at the same time. Well fellow gay sluts, we might all be taking a trip to England! Cheerio! As of now, there is no fast track for a vaccine here in the State,s and given the head of our current health department, sexual health for gay men is not at the top of the list.

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