{"id":4789,"date":"2019-04-12T07:00:17","date_gmt":"2019-04-12T07:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/?p=4789"},"modified":"2023-12-04T12:14:59","modified_gmt":"2023-12-04T12:14:59","slug":"illegal-online-sti-drugs-target-those-afraid-to-see-a-doctor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/illegal-online-sti-drugs-target-those-afraid-to-see-a-doctor\/","title":{"rendered":"Illegal online STI drugs target those afraid to see a doctor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One of BBC\u2019s reporters recently went undercover\nto investigate the illegal online trade of drugs that is endangering the sexual\nhealth of the UK population. The unlicensed antibiotics were advertised through\nsocial media as treatment for sexually transmitted infections; the drugs were\nnot only illegal \u2013 with some not even being prescribed anymore \u2013 but also sold\nat the wrong dose. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The internet and\nsocial media are great tools for the couch potatoes amongst us. Nearly\neverything can be bought online and delivered straight to you, making the\nlongest trek for you being from your sofa to your door. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there are\nthings that only qualified professionals can provide, such as a cure for STIs. Alastair\nJeffrey, Government Medicine Regulator, expresses his concern around buying\nunlicensed medication \u2013 commenting that it is not a gamble he\u2019d be willing to\ntake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don’t know how it’s been manufactured; you don’t know where it’s been stored or transported; it may have been sitting in some cargo container in 40-degree heat that could have an impact on the active pharmaceutical ingredient.<\/p>Alastair Jeffrey, Government Medicine Regulator<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Boasting a\ncelebrity clientele, the self-appointed \u2018medical professional\u2019 has been selling\nSTI drugs that he claimed were shipped from his uncle\u2019s pharmacy overseas. With\nease of access and low prices, the salesman\u2019s marketing tactics prove appealing\nto those who are too embarrassed to go to a sexual health clinic, or young\npeople who are afraid to seek medical assistance.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Suneeta Soni, from\nthe British Association of Sexual Health and HIV, assessed the antibiotics sold\nand said that not only were some of treatments no longer in use due to\nantibiotic resistance making them ineffective, but the recommended dosages were\nalso incorrect. People are urged to seek professional medical advice if they\nare concerned about STIs or their sexual health more generally. Failure to\ntreat sexually transmitted infections correctly may trigger further health\ncomplications or cause your condition to become more severe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping yourself safe from STIs needs a few things; practice safe sex, try to have longer term sexual relationships with fewer partners, rather than lots of one-night stands, and above all, get tested regularly. If you are worried about your sexual health, then get tested<\/a>. It’s quick, easy and you can do it anonymously. If you have caught an STI then speak to a professional about getting it treated. This is quick and easy too, and will help guarantee you get the best care and the correct medicines to treat your infection. Don\u2019t be tempted to gamble with your health, it\u2019s just not worth it!<\/p> Mike Asher, Co-Founder of Better2Know<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Sources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

[1] BBC: Sexually\ntransmitted infections: What to do if you get one<\/a> | Unlicensed\nSTI drugs sold online<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[2] Cosmopolitan: Illegal drugs to ‘treat STIs’ are being sold\nonline<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[3] Mayo Clinic: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[4] Pharma Times: BBC warns of illegal STI drugs being sold online<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of BBC\u2019s reporters recently went undercover to investigate the illegal online trade of drugs that is endangering the sexual health of the UK population. The unlicensed antibiotics were advertised through social media as treatment for sexually transmitted infections; the drugs were not only illegal \u2013 with some not even being prescribed anymore \u2013 but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":""},"categories":[20,19],"tags":[586,585,583,465,584,581,582],"yst_prominent_words":[572,569,566,579,568,575,565,559,578,580,573,570,563,560,558,564,574,567,562,561],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4789"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4789"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4789\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7563,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4789\/revisions\/7563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4789"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=4789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}