'Sex Superbug' Said To Be Worse Than AIDS; How Can You Avoid It?

Hawaiian officials have confirmed a new 'sex superbug' that has been deemed to be a resistant strain of gonorrhea that is 'more infectious than AIDS'.

Known as H041, the 'sex superbug' was first identified in Japan in 2011. From Japan, it spread to Hawaii in May of 2011--making it the first case in the United States--and has since popped up in California and Norway.

Since the disease is drug-resistant, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has asked for $54 million from Congress to find an antibiotic for the disease, and for conducting an educational public awareness campaign. And rightfully so--Alan Christianson, a doctor of naturopathic medicine, told CNBC that "this might be a lot worse than AIDS in the short run because the bacteria is more aggressive and will affect more people quickly".

Peter Whiticir, from the State Department of Health, has revealed that physicians and health care providers in Hawaii have been advised to keep an eye out for the strain of gonorrhea, especially since it has the potential to be as deadly as the AIDS virus. Gonorrhea is the second most common sexually transmitted infection in North America and AIDS has claimed 30 million lives worldwide.

"Getting gonorrhea from this strain might put someone into septic shock and death in a matter of days," said Christianson to Daily Mail. "This is very dangerous."

And while no deaths have been reported from the HO41, avoiding the disease is reportedly the safest measure.

"People need to practice safe sex, like always," Christianson said. "Anyone beginning a new relationship should get tested along with their partner."

"The way gonorrhea works, not everyone knows they have it, he adds. "And with this new strain it's even more important than ever to find out."

There have been growing concerns about gonorrhea as physicians have been reporting that the disease, which is constantly mutating, is not being effectively treated by Cephalosporin--the antibiotic of choice.

"CDC now recommends only one class of antibiotics, called cephalosporins - consisting of the drugs cefixime (administered orally) or ceftriaxone (administered via injection) - together with another antibiotic, either azithromycin or doxycycline," writes the CDC in their latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. "However, findings from the recent analysis signal the potential for resistance to cephalosporins, the last line of defense for treating gonorrhea"