Quinolones in the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases

Many of the new quinolone-carboxylic acids possess in vitro activity against a variety of sexually transmitted pathogens. Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Hemophilus ducreyi are particularly susceptible to those antimicrobial agents while the in vitro sensitivities of Chlamydia trachomatis and genital mycoplasmas vary widely amongst the quinolones and range from poor to modest. Clinically, single dose therapy with many of the quinolones has been highly effective in curing gonorrhea and appears to be promising in the management of chancroid. In contrast, however, the quinolones (even when used in multiple dose, 7 to 10 day regimens) have been disappointing to date in the treatment of chlamydial and nongonococcal infections. Currently there is little data available with regard to other sexually transmitted diseases but it appears that the quinolones will not be useful in the therapy of syphilis or bacterial vaginosis.