Um, There's An STD That Looks Like It's 'Eating' Your Flesh Down There...
There's a new STD in town, and its symptoms are uh....pretty alarming. The name's donovanosis, and it's often referred to as the flesh-eating STD. The scariest part is you’ve probably never even heard of it, much less know how to protect yourself against it.
Its real name is donovanosis and it became a hot topic last year after a woman in the U.K. was diagnosed and a story on the scary-AF infection went pretty viral. But don't worry because a lot of the colloquial terms used to talk about it aren't actually alllllll that accurate, plus it's uncommon.
So here's *everything* you need to know that'll also make you feel way more at ease about it.
What is donovanosis?
Donovanosis (granuloma inguinale), is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection. While it’s not super common, it is super memorable thanks to the characteristic oozing genital sores that just keep getting bigger and bigger unless treated with antibiotics, says Sherry Ross, MD, ob-gyn and author of She-Ology. The sores are the reason for its "flesh-eating" nickname—but more on that in a minute.
How would I even get this STD?
Donovanosis is spread through skin-to-skin contact, not through fluids, so any type of intimate contact can transmit the disease, even if it’s not technically “sex,” according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The most common way to spread it is through sexual contact, usually through vaginal or anal sex, Dr. Ross says, but you can also get it through oral sex, non-sexual skin-to-skin contact, and a mother may pass it on to her baby during childbirth.
So how common is donovanosis, really? Like do I need to be freakin' out over here?
Thankfully, donovanosis is pretty rare. It’s found most commonly in warmer countries, like southeast India, Guyana, and New Guinea. There are about 100 cases per year in the U.S., but most of those are brought back by people traveling abroad, per the NIH.
Unfortunately, since "most people in the U.S. have never heard of it, most doctors in the U.S. haven’t either, which can make diagnosing it difficult,” Dr. Ross points out. “It’s not something we check for in a standard STD screen.”
Okay, I gotta know: Is donovanosis *really* flesh-eating?
Nope! While the sores from donovanosis can get pretty big—and therefore appear to “eat” your flesh—technically it’s not actually flesh-eating bacteria that leads to flesh-eating disease (which is actually known as necrotizing fasciitis), Dr. Ross explains.
Necrotizing fasciitis is the death of tissue and can be caused by many different kinds of bacteria. (Fun fact: The bacteria that causes strep throat is actually the most common.) But donovanosis is caused by a different type of bacteria entirely, and the tissues usually recover after treatment, she explains.
True flesh-eating bacteria generally causes permanent damage and is notoriously difficult to treat with antibiotics, while donovanosis appears to respond well to antibiotics, Dr. Ross says. Whew.
What are the symptoms of donovanosis?
The primary symptom of donovanosis is painless sores, usually in the groin region, that grow into open ulcers with a “beefy, red appearance,” according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. These sores often start in folds of skin, most commonly in the labia, around the anus, or under a man’s scrotum. While they don’t normally hurt, they may leak fluid and will bleed easily. “The sores look quite alarming, but it looks more painful than it is,” Dr. Ross says.
If the sores become infected, which they often do when left untreated, you may have secondary symptoms of an infection, including fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, and/or a foul odor, she says.
*If* I happened to get donovanosis (omg), what would treatment look like?
“This is not something that will go away on its own and in fact will get much worse,” Dr. Ross says. “You need to see your doctor and get a prescription for antibiotics.”
The CDC recommends azithromycin for a minimum of three weeks but it can recur, so you’ll need to keep an eye out for new ulcers for at least another year. Treating the disease early is often very successful. But if you wait too long you may get permanent damage and scarring, the NIH says.
However, because donovanosis is so uncommon in the U.S., it can be hard to get the right diagnosis, and therefore the correct treatment. You need to be honest with your doctor about any countries you may have visited recently and any sexual contact you’ve had, she says. If you know you’ve had sex with someone with donovanosis, alert your doctor right away even if you aren’t showing symptoms.
How can I protect myself...?
Condoms are not enough to protect you from donovanosis. Because the sores can be in places where condoms don’t cover, the only sure way to prevent getting it is to not have sex with someone who has it. “Use common sense: If you see a sore on a potential partner, even if you don’t know what kind it is, do not have sex with them,” she says. How will you know if they have sores? “Turn the lights on and look,” she says.
It will also help to make sure you’re familiar with your own genitals, both by touch and by sight (using a mirror), Dr. Ross says. “Just check things out while you’re in the shower and if anything feels off, get it checked out,” she says.
Another option? Take regular “vaggies”—or vagina selfies—so you can compare how things are looking down there, she suggests.
The bottom line: Donovanosis is really uncommon in the U.S.—so don't freak out for no reason. But if you ever have sex with a new partner and do notice sores, head to your doctor right away.
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