Chancroid

Treatment:

The infection is treated with appropriate antibiotics. Effective antibiotics include:

• sulfonamides - oral
• tetracyclines - oral
• streptomycin
• kanamycin-oral
• chloramphenicol
• trimethoprim and sulfa mixtures
• ceftriaxone, 250 mg (milligrams), injected into a muscle
• Ciprofloxacin - oral, 500 mg, twice a day for 3 days
• erythromycins - oral, 500 mg, four times a day for 7 days

Expectations (prognosis):

Chancroid can resolve spontaneously. However, some people may experience months of painful ulceration and draining. Antibiotic treatment usually results in rapid clearing of lesions with a minimal to small amount of scarring.

Complications:

• urethral fistulas
• phimosis in uncircumcised males (scars on the foreskin of the penis)

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you have symptoms suggestive of chancroid. Also call if you have had sexual contact with a person known to have any STD, or if you have engaged in high-risk sexual practices.