3 Ways to Treat Chancroid

1. Treat the Infection with Antibiotics

Chancroid is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that is common in some developing countries but far more rare in the United States and other western countries. It is usually limited to participants in the sex trade, but there have been some documented outbreaks in other communities. The primary symptom of chancroid is painful genital ulcers. These ulcers start out as a bump on your genitals and then quickly progress to ulcers that have sharp, irregular borders. These ulcers are typically covered in grayish material and bleed easily when grazed.

Chancroid is treated primarily with antibiotics. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the antibiotics azithromycin, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin and erythromycin to treat chancroid. Both azithromycin and ceftriaxone only require a single dose taken orally and intramuscularly, respectively. Ulcers should begin to improve by the third day of treatment and you should notice a marked improvement within seven days. If you don't, return to your doctor for a follow-up visit and reexamination. It's possible that your diagnosis was incorrect, your particular strain of chancroid is resistant to the antibiotic or another STD, such as syphilis or HIV, may be interfering with treatment.

2. Drain Swollen Lymph Nodes

A secondary symptom of chanchroid is swollen inguinal lymph nodes. These lymph nodes are located inside your hip fold. It's common for these to swell so much that they bust through the skin and cause an abscess called a bubo. The abscess can be drained with needle aspiration or local surgery. Needle aspiration is the less invasive option, but it is also less effective and may need to be repeated several times. Local surgery involves making an incision in the bubo to drain it. The procedure usually solves the problem and doesn't need to be repeated.

3. Avoid Reinfection With Safe Sexual Practices

While being treated for chancroid, refrain from sexual relations. Open chancroid ulcers increase your risk of contracting other sexually transmitted diseases, and you can easily spread chancroid to others. Treatment does not prevent you from being reinfected with the disease if you are exposed in the future. It's important to practice safe sex, including using condoms consistently and correctly and avoiding sex with high-risk partners, such as those in the sex trade. If you have had sexual relations with others since you were exposed to chancroid, notify them of your diagnosis so that they can also seek treatment. While it's unlikely that those infected would overlook symptoms, it's possible that their symptoms have been confused for another STD due to the relative low incidence of chancroid.