Careful, Your Diabetes Meds Could Cause A Genital-Eating Infection

It sounds like an April Fool’s headline, but a recent PrepForThat article reported that medications intended to treat sufferers of type-2 diabetes are causing flesh-eating conditions that affect the genital area. The medications in question are sodium-glucose contransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors made by Invokana, Farxiga, and Jardiance.

The extremely rare flesh-eating infection is called necrotizing fasciitis of the perineum, but also goes by Fournier’s gangrene. It’s a bacterial infection of the tissue under the skin of the perineum. The FDA released a statement warning users of the potential issue, and advising them to seek medical attention immediately if they experience symptoms of tenderness, redness, or swelling in the genital area.