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A scientific study was done by some researchers to come up with the cost associated with getting rid of gonorrhea at family planning clinics that worked with adolescents. This study took into account the cost associated with using hospital staff as well as non-personnel expenses that included screening of the infection, conducting diagnostic tests, getting in touch with the infected people, treating the patients and then checking them to see whether they have been cured.
Based on the study, it was found that the average cost for screening patients during a regular family planning check up worked up to around $9.74, while running diagnostic tests on people who showed symptoms cost around $19.92. The average cost of the treatment per visit worked up to $24.97. (See Reference 1)
The US spends a whopping $56 million every year to treat patients suffering from gonorrhea. (See Reference 2) Generally, treatment when antibiotics were discovered consisted of treating patients with some penicillin and later on the use of tetracycline began. During the Vietnam War, using a penicillin and tetracycline to cure uncomplicated infections led to new antibiotic-resistant strains of gonorrhea bacterium. (See Reference 2)
Then, in the year 1963, doctors started using nalidixic acid to treat infections of the urinary tract after the FDA approved it. However, bacteria developed resistance to it and then some modifications were made to the medication in the 1980s so that the activity of the new compound was successful in treating gram positive and gram negative microorganisms. This new medication was extremely successful in treating gonorrhea and getting rid of the bacterium from the body.
Today, the expense that the healthcare system incurs in treating patients suffering from gonorrhea is borne by the insurance companies; and the treatment protocol is recommended by the CDC. The protocol recommends giving the patient a single dose of 500 mg of ciprofloxacin along with 400 mg of ofloxacin to treat patients that have no complications. (See Reference 2) However, of late, countries such as Canada, the UK, Australia, Hong Kong and the US are finding that many strains of the bacterium are showing resistance to ciprofloxacin as well as fluoroquinolone. And, this means that the cost of treating gonorrhea in these countries could hike up as newer drugs and antibiotics would have to be tested for effective cure. This increase in cost for treating gonorrhea would have to be borne by the entire healthcare system in all these countries.
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- Facts About Gonorrhea
- History Of Gonorrhea
- Gonorrhea Signs And Symptoms
- What Does Gonorrhea Look Like ?
- Can You Permanently Get Rid Of Gonorrhea ?
- Gonorrhea Treatment Side Effects
- How Long Can Gonorrhea Lay Dormant ?
- How Long Does It Take To Cure Gonorrhea Symptoms ?
- How Much Does It Cost To Get Rid Of Gonorrhea ?
- How To Prevent Gonorrhea ?
1. National Library of Medicine: The incremental cost of screening, diagnosis, and treatment of gonorrhea and chlamydia in a family planning clinichttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2500721
2. Kenyon.edu: What is Neisseria gonorrheae?
https://biology.kenyon.edu/slonc/bio38/stancikd_02/What_is_Neisseria_gonorrhoeae.html
The only foolproof method to prevent gonorrhea is abstinence. However, another way to prevent gonorrhea would be to enter into a long term monogamous relationship with a person who has been tested and shown to be free of the infection. Many people advocate the use of condoms. While condoms can reduce the risk of getting gonorrhea, they are definitely not considered to be 100 percent effective in prevent gonorrhea or any other sexually transmitted disease. (See Reference 1)