Key Takeaways:
- Gonorrhoea rates are on the rise in New Brunswick, which is cause for concern.
- Due to the rapid rise in cases, the province is urging New Brunswickers to get tested, which can be done through a urine test or swabbing.
According to New Brunswick’s chief medical officer of health, gonorrhoea rates are on the rise, which is cause for concern.
“What’s concerning is that there were five times more confirmed cases in 2021 than the previous year,” says Dr. Jennifer Russell, New Brunswick’s chief medical officer.
According to Russell, confirmed cases of sexually transmitted infection rose from 54 in 2020 to 254 in 2021 in New Brunswick.
The province already has recorded 64 cases just a few months into 2022.
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“Gonorrhea is currently with us. “It’s circulating, as I mentioned, in that age group of 20 to 39,” Russell says. “It’s critical to get tested, especially if you have symptoms because gonorrhoea can exist without symptoms.”
Due to the rapid rise in cases, the province is urging New Brunswickers to get tested, which can be done through a urine test or swabbing.
If left untreated, gonorrhoea can cause infertility in both men and women.
However, the executive director of AIDS New Brunswick says that, in addition to public awareness, greater education about sexually transmitted infections and greater access to contraception are important components.
“There are still barriers to getting free condoms, particularly dental dams, which are extremely difficult to come by in the province,” says Amanda Diggins, executive director of AIDS New Brunswick.
“We also had someone call today and say they don’t know where to get sexual health testing, so making sure that’s accessible can be difficult, especially if you’re in a more rural area,” she says.
According to the province, new Brunswickers must contact their local sexual health center to get tested. A list of phone numbers for each center can be found on the government’s website.
Source: Global News
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