1: Why is AMR a dangerous public health crisis?
When you take medication for an infection, sometimes what is making you sick has been exposed to the medication for so long that it has found a way to survive the drug.
This process is antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Some parasites, viruses, bacteria and fungi are so resistant to the drugs used to treat them that there are no effective treatments to stop the infection.
There are only 90 antibiotics in clinical development – and only 5 of them are effective against the highest risk bacteria.
Over time, AMR makes it more difficult to treat infections, including:
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Sore throat
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pneumonia
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Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
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Infections due to birth
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Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
There are more than 2.8 million AMR infections and more than 165,000 AMR-related deaths in the United States annually
Why are women at higher risk?
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Urinary tract infections are common in women. Urinary tract infections that keep coming back can become drug-resistant.
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There is a risk of infection during childbirth, especially during cesarean sections or induced labor.
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6 out of 10 nurses in the US are women and contact with sick people increases the risk of infection.
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Women have a higher risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
Pregnancy-related deaths caused by infections are increasing.
Healthcare workers and sex workers are at high risk of infection – and many of them are women.
4: What you can do
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Take infection prevention measures such as: B. Washing hands, especially when around sick people.
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Use antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics only as prescribed by a doctor.
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Learn more about antibiotics and why they’re running low.
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Contact your legislators to learn what they can do to ensure essential antibiotics are available in the next decade – and beyond.
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Visit the American Society for Microbiology Action Center.
resources
American Society for Microbiology Action Center
This educational resource was created with support from BIO, a member of the HealthyWomen Corporate Advisory Council.
