Just a quick alert…

There seems to be a pretty nasty staph infection going around which can be spread through sexual contact. They’re not calling it an STD since there are other ways of getting it – but they’re seeing quite a few cases of it being transmitted sexually. Anal sex seems to be one of the top ways it can spread, and one in 588 residents of the Castro have it. The latest form (a “flesh-eating” MRSA bacteria) seems to be highly resistent to treatment requiring surgical removal and IV antibiotics.

So, if you think you might possibly have it – go see a doctor! If you try to self-medicate yourself with antibiotics you can make the problem worse.

The other piece of advice in the articles was to take a shower after sex. Apparently the use of any type of soap will dramatically reduce your chances the MRSA bacteria taking hold.

For more information see the articles in The New York Times, and The San Francisco Chronicle.

UPDATE: This isn’t something you should be freaking out about – just be aware of it and deal with it quickly if you suspect you have it. For a good balanced perspective check out the post on LifeLube.

UPDATE #2: In stark contrast to the LifeLube article which points out that this staph infection is also a problem for athletes and members of the military, an article in The Free Republic sounds the alarm bell to watch out for gay people ’cause they’re spreading their diseases into the general population… Sex IS political. Never forget that…

UPDATE #3: The CDC has issued a statement putting things in perspective… Check it out.

UPDATE #4: The researchers have actually gone as far as apologizing for how the report was interpreted… (What a huge mess this has all been…)