sexuality

One oral dose of zoliflodacin—a new antibiotic—is as effective as the current treatment for uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhoea, according to the results of a phase 3 clinical trial published in The Lancet. In some parts of the world, the bacteria that cause gonorrhoea have developed resistance to the current treatment, which combines an injection of ceftriaxone and an oral dose of azithromycin. Zoliflodacin could be an alternative to this treatment, concludes the study, which included 900 people from five countries.

‘Bacterial signatures’ from genital areas could serve as a forensic tool to identify perpetrators of sexual assault, even if there is no trace of sperm, according to a study published in the journal iScience, by the Cell group. After sequencing the DNA of bacteria from genital samples from 12 stable couples, the authors show that a transfer of bacterial species occurs during intercourse, allowing the identification of each person’s own genital microbiome or ‘sexome’.

A study has published a phylogenetic analysis to explore the evolution of same-sex sexual behaviour in the animal world. The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, is led by the Experimental Station of Arid Zones (EEZA) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).