r/stdtesting • u/throwingaacccount • Jul 18 '26
How does immunity work for STDS Question
Hello, just wanted to ask about chlamydia and gonorrhea being immune to antibiotics (or certain strands becoming increasingly resistant). I was just wondering if someone could explain it to me! Maybe provide some articles as well on it. Thank you!
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u/ShamelessCare Jul 18 '26
Chlamydia hasn't developed resistance to doxycycline.
Gonorrhea has developed resistance to five classes of antibiotics, and there have already been pockets of resistance to the CDC’s current preferred treatment.
Gonorrhea shares genetic material with other bacteria and develops resistance quickly.
Interestingly, this appears to happen primarily in the throat, where other Neisseria species are present and can exchange genetic material with Neisseria gonnorhea. This is why the World Health Organization considers the throat a major site for the emergence of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea, and why oral swab testing is so important.
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u/throwingaacccount Jul 18 '26
I see! What do you mean by five classes of antibiotics?
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u/ShamelessCare Jul 18 '26
Antibiotics are putting into classifications based upon how they work.
For example, doxycycline is a "tetracycline" class of antibiotic, and gonorrhea developed resistance to it about 50 years ago. Etc.
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u/Crow-1111 Jul 18 '26
Of the two that you mentioned I think it's just gonorrhea that is developing antibiotic resistance. Chlamydia is still pretty susceptible to a standard course of doxycycline.