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Popular due to their effectiveness in fighting various bacterial infections, fluoroquinolone antibiotics carry risks that can be worse than the illness. SNIP>>>>>> Fluoroquinolones, including ciprofloxacin (Cipro), levofloxacin (Levaquin), and moxifloxacin (Avelox), are powerful antibiotics designed to battle various bacterial infections—from urinary tract and respiratory infections to dermatological conditions. Fluoroquinolones are broadly effective and can reach deep into tissues to combat bacteria, which made them increasingly popular among doctors after their U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 1980. They also require fewer doses than some other antibiotics, making them convenient for patients to use. Fluoroquinolones possess the ability to...

CDC Suggests Change in Treatment for Gay, Bisexual Men The number of gay and bisexual men who are getting infected with gonorrhea that cannot be cured by the most commonly used antibiotics is increasing rapidly, federal health officials said yesterday. Antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea more than doubled between 2002 and 2003, primarily because of a jump from a rate of 1.8 percent to 4.9 percent among gay and bisexual men, according to preliminary data collected at sexually transmitted disease clinics in 23 cities, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Massachusetts and New York City have reported similar findings. As...