Curable STDs - Infections

Chancroid I

The bacterium causing chancroid (lat. haemophilus ducreyi)

1. What is it?
Chancroid is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection. It is much more common in developing than in developed countries. However, with today’s increasing international travel, it occasionally reaches richer Western societies. The disease is also called "soft chancre" to differentiate it from the "hard chancre" of syphilis.

2. What causes it?
Chancroid is caused by the bacterium haemophilus ducreyi.

3. How is it transmitted?
The disease is spread by sexual contact, i.e. vaginal, oral, and anal intercourse. In some Western countries, the infection is transmitted mainly by sex workers to their clients. Uncircumcised males run a greater risk of infection than circumcised males. The bacterium can also be transmitted by a mother to her baby while she is giving birth. The risk can be reduced if the baby of an infected mother is delivered by Caesarian section.