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Science: Health: Sexually Transmitted Disease
Silver nitrate lube   (+2)  [vote for, against]
For the other STDS

PreP has revolutionized HIV prevention. People at risk for contracting HIV because of unsafe sex practices can pre-emptively take HIV meds to keep the virus from getting established. Fewer people with HIV is good.

A problem is that PreP does not prevent the old fashioned STDs which then run rampant. Some additions to PrEP are obvious - syphilis is one of the few things penicillin is still good against so that could be added. Herpes everyone has anyway. Hepatitis B and C have shots to prevent so get that.

Gonorrhea is problematic, because it will evolve around antibiotics and already has in many areas. What is the disease fearing but sex having person to do?

Silver nitrate eyedrops used to be used to prevent gonorrhea blindness in newborns. In many states up until recently every baby got the drops. I conclude silver is good against gonorrhea. Probably it is hard to evolve around given its nonspecific mechanism. If it is OK in a baby's eye it is OK anywhere else.

BUNGCO introduces GONOGON: personal lubricant fortified with silver nitrate. Now smooth your relations at the same time you avoid catching gonorrhea from your new partner. In convenient single use envelopes. Like mustard.
-- bungston, Nov 04 2016

PreP basics http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/prep.html
for those unfamiliar [bungston, Nov 04 2016]

Silver is an excellent antiseptic, as are its compounds, but note that the nitrate can cause a certain amount of staining.

It can also be used as a precursor for producing silver nitride, which has interesting physical properties.
-- 8th of 7, Nov 04 2016


Hmm, ponders silver recovery techniques..
-- not_morrison_rm, Nov 04 2016


They would have to test this to find the effect on vaginal flora. Perhaps polymer coated silver nitrate could gradually release small amounts of AgNO3. I do not know if bacteria spread from "soaking in" or microabrasions though.

There is a newish thing that I think that the UN researches that are microbiocidal creams. They use non AgNO3 bacteriocides
-- beanangel, Nov 05 2016



random, halfbakery