Dear Dog-ter,
I'd say I'm a fairly attractive guy in his early 30's. Sex is not an issue, especially when I'm out at the baths. I get tested for STD's every 3 months or so, but I've been hearing a lot about MRSA. What is it? I hear it's pretty scary.
—Fabulous And Gorgeous

Dear F.A.G.,
It's great to hear you are comfortable with your sexuality. Kudos to your regular STD testing! MRSA is an acronym. It stands for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus.

Yes, I know BIG words for bacteria. Simply, it means it is a type of ‘staph'(a bacteria commonly found on human skin and on lots of other surfaces that is resistant to a common antibiotic— Methicillin, that in the past was quite effective in treating staph infections.

MRSA can still be treated with other antibiotics. It may just take longer and be more expensive and often it takes a while for your care provider to discover that it's MRSA that's causing the infection, which can delay selection of the best treatment. MRSA can be found inside the nose, armpit, groin and genital area.

Symptoms include:

• Redness, warmth, swelling, tenderness of the skin, and boils or blisters
• Sometimes its' appearance can be mistake for ‘spider bites'
• Frequently fever and chills

MRSA is acquired by "close contact" with a MRSA-infected person. Close contact which has
resulted in transmission of MRSA has included sex and even wrestling matches. You can also get it from “MRSA-contaminated objects and surfaces,” like towels, soaps, sheets, clothes, benches in saunas or hot tubs and athletic equipment. Baths and gyms can sometimes be risky, and not just from sex.

Once MRSA is confirmed, it can be treated with proper wound and skin care and antibiotics, specifically active against MRSA. A healthcare provider can drain the pus from the infected area if necessary. This procedure is called I&D—incision and drainage. But some infections may require intravenous antibiotic administration and hospitalization.

If you think you may have MRSA–go to your health care provider right away. Appropriate treatment can help prevent it from getting worse. Follow your doctor's instructions carefully, and especially take your antibiotics for the full course, even when you start to feel better.

-the Dog-ter

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