A sexual health expert has warned that a fall in condom usage could trigger a wave of an impossible-to-treat sexually transmitted disease.
Last week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a warning about the dangers of fewer young people using condoms with a significant decline reported.
The fear is that a reduction in usage could increase the risk of the spread of STDs and potentially mpox.
Now, sexual wellness expert and founder of MyBliss Mo Carrier has warned that the fall in usage could trigger an epidemic of an “impossible to treat” condition.
The condition in question is known as antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea, a type of STD that is impervious to antibiotics used to traditionally treat the condition.
Mo warned: “If condom use continues to decline, we could see a significant increase in cases of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea, leading to infections that are much harder, if not impossible, to treat with existing antibiotics.
“This scenario could potentially result in severe public health challenges, including higher rates of complications such as infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease, and even a resurgence of untreatable gonorrhoea infections.”
The ramifications of a failure to fix the fall in condom use could have wider implications not just for patients, but for the NHS and other healthcare systems with a potential epidemic-sized health crisis a possibility.
Mo said: “The worst-case scenario following a decline in condom use would be an STD epidemic.
“Condoms are one of the most effective barrier methods for preventing the transmission of STIs, including those that are potentially life-threatening, like HIV, so a reduction in their use could lead to widespread outbreaks of these infections.
“We could see overwhelmed healthcare systems, increasing healthcare costs, and long-term health complications for individuals, putting further stress on an already overworked and struggling system.
“Unintended pregnancies could rise which could lead to socioeconomic consequences, particularly in communities with limited access to reproductive health services. In the long term, this scenario could reverse decades of progress in public health efforts aimed at reducing the prevalence of STIs and promoting sexual and reproductive health.”
