An increase in the number of gonorrhea cases in the province has prompted the chief medical officer of health, Dr. Jennifer Russell, to declare a provincial outbreak and remind New Brunswickers about the importance of safe sex practices.
Russell says a total of 96 cases were reported to Regional Public Health in the past year.
20 have already been reported in the first quarter this year. The annual average over the previous five years was 54 cases.
Russell says those having sex with multiple partners may have been exposed to the infection without their knowledge. It is caused by a bacteria, virus or parasite that is passed through unprotected sexual contact.
“We encourage people who are having unprotected sex to get tested,” said Russell in a release.
“It is not unusual for individuals who have a sexually transmitted infection to have more than one infection at the same time. HIV, gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia are all examples of these infections.”
She says the outbreak can be correlated to a rise in popularity of dating apps and ‘hook-up culture.’
“Social media tools enable people to communicate quickly to arrange anonymous sexual encounters, resulting in increased difficulty in tracking sexually transmitted infections,” said Russell.
“When people don’t know their sexual partners’ identities, it is difficult to contact those partners for followup testing and treatment.”
She says this serves as a reminder to New Brunswickers of the importance of safe sex practices.
She says getting tested regularly should be a part of everyone’s routine health check-ups.
People who believe they may have been exposed to such infections should consult their doctor or a Public Health office, even if symptoms are not present.
