Billboards warning about gonorrhea appear in 19 cities as the STI rockets across the US

Dozens of billboards urging Americans to get tested for gonorrhea have popped up over highways in 19 cities across the United States.

The signs – showing a Titanic-like ship hitting an iceberg – come as cases reach their highest level since the 1990s, with now 700,000 people infected each year.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which is behind the billboards, said they were intended to get people to “ask questions” about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). They said the iceberg represented the unforeseen consequences of an infection.

It comes after a kind of super gonorrhea — resistant to almost all antibiotics — was spotted in Boston. Patients who contract the sexually transmitted disease can face infertility, pelvic inflammation, and be at risk of contracting HIV.

Marcelino Alcorta, the foundation’s western regional director, said the purpose of the billboards was to encourage someone to get Google tested.

“There’s a sense of insensitivity when it comes to STIs,” they told the Seattle Times.

“The billboards go a long way toward someone Googleing something or planning something with a provider.

“There’s also value in asking a question, and if they’re among friends, hopefully there’s someone in their friend group who can start a conversation.”

The signs read: “Drug Resistant Gonorrhea Alert!”

They also have a link – freeSTDcheck.org – where Americans can visit to find out how to get a free test for gonorrhea.

Of the cities where the billboards have appeared, Los Angeles, California, has received the most billboards, with 11 in total.

It was followed by Baton Rouge, in Louisiana, and Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania, each of which has seven billboards.

Seven of the 19 cities with billboards — or a third — were in Florida. These were Broward, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Pensacola and Saint Petersburg.

There were also two cities in Texas with billboards, Dallas and Houston, and another in California, Oakland.

The shelves started moving up around June and are expected to be seen for about 12 weeks. In some cities, such as Seattle, they have only recently risen.

Anyone who is sexually active should get tested for sexually transmitted infections at least once a year, says the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC).

All sexually active women under age 25 should be tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia every year, she added.

All sexually active gay or bisexual men should be tested for syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea at least once a year. Those who have multiple sexual partners should get tested every three to six months.

Gonorrhea infections reached record levels in the 1970s and 1980s with about 400 cases per 100,000 people at their peak.

But with the advent of technologies such as condoms, increased awareness of STIs, and infection control programs, annual infections had dropped 74 percent since 1996.

In recent years, however, the number of infections has risen again, with factors such as more sexual partners, less condom use, a lack of testing and the emergence of antibiotic resistance.

People can only become infected with gonorrhea through vaginal, anal, or oral sex when the bacteria is passed from one person to another in bodily fluids.

Early warning signs of infection include pain during urination, abnormal discharge from the penis or anus, and redness or swelling in the urethra or vagina.

Infections are treated with a course of antibiotics. But in recent years, with the emergence of resistance, doctors have begun to fear that an alternative is needed.

In some cases, infections can lead to infertility in men by causing scar tissue in the urethra – which can reduce how much semen leaves the body during ejaculation.

In women, the bacteria can travel through the cervix to the upper reproductive organs, leading to inflammation and scarring that can affect fertility.

The bacteria may also increase a person’s risk of becoming infected with HIV by making it easier for the virus to enter the bloodstream.

This year in Boston, two people were diagnosed with a “disturbing” variant of super gonorrhea.

There was no connection between the pair, suggesting the disease is more widely circulating in the community.

Dr. Margaret Cooke, the chief of the state’s health department, said the discovery was a “serious public health concern.” The species has previously been spotted in both the UK and Austria.