Gonorrhea: Sign, Symptoms and Treatment

GONORRHEA 

What is gonorrhea?

Gonorrhea colloquially referred to as “the clap” is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a bacterium called
Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It is transmitted through the means of anal, vaginal, or
oral sex.
In addition to sexual
intercourse, gonorrhea may also be
spread by contact with infected bodily
fluids, so that a mother could pass on the
infection to her newborn during
childbirth.

Gonorrhea can grow and multiply easily
in the reproductive tract, including the
cervix (opening to the womb), uterus
(womb), and fallopian tubes (egg canals)
in women, and in the urethra (urine
canal) in women and men. The bacterium
can also grow in the mouth, throat, eyes,
and anus.
How common is gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea is a very common infectious
disease. WHO estimates that 62 million
cases of gonorrhea appear each year. CDC
estimates that, annually, more than
700,000 people in the United States get
new gonorrhea infections and less than
half of these infections are reported to
CDC. In the US, it is the second most
common bacterial sexually transmitted
infections after chlamydia.
The highest infection rates of gonorrhea
occur in the following groups:
· Adolescents and young adults
· Drug users
What are the symptoms of
gonorrhea?
Some men with gonorrhea may have no
symptoms. Gonorrhea also do not
produce symptoms in about 30 to 40 % of females. However, symptoms when
present usually appear between 2 to 14
days in men, but may take longer in
females.
Symptoms of gonorrhea in men:
In men, the symptoms may include the
following:
· Pain or burning sensation when
urinating
· Thick, yellow penile discharge
· Painful or swollen testicles
· Infection or inflammation of the
prostate gland
Symptoms of gonorrhea in women Even when a woman has symptoms, they
are often mild and can be mistaken for a
bladder or vaginal infection.
· Painful or burning sensation when
urinating
· Increased vaginal discharge
· Vaginal bleeding between periods
· Infection and irritation of the cervix and
vagina
· The need to urinate often
· Presence of a thick yellow/green
discharge
· Gonorrhea may also cause pelvic
inflammatory disease
Gonorrhea Symptoms in Newborns
Irritation of the mucous membranes in
the eyes (if not treated, can cause
blindness)
Rectal Gonorrhea Symptoms
Rectal infections in both men and women
may also cause no symptoms. However,
when they occur, they may include:
· Discharge
· Anal itching
· Soreness
· Bleeding
· Painful bowel movement
Rectal pain or discharge can be a sign of
infection of the prostate and is
transmitted through anal intercourse.
What are the complications of gonorrhea?
Untreated gonorrhea can cause serious
and permanent health problems in both
women and men.
In women, untreated gonorrhea can cause
pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This
may occur in about 20 to 40% of the
females. The symptoms may be mild or
can be very severe and can include
abdominal pain and fever. PID can
damage the fallopian tubes and cause
infertility.
Untreated gonorrhea infection can also
increase a woman’s risk of ectopic
pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy is a
condition in which a fertilized egg grows
outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian
tube and it could be life threatening.
Other complications of gonorrhea in
women include:
Chronic pelvic pain and sterility from
tubal adhesions in which fibrous tissue in
the Fallopian tubes abnormally sticks
together (women)
Meningitis (inflammation of the brain) or
perihepatitis (infection of the liver)
Chlamydia, another sexually transmitted
disease, often accompanies gonorrheal
infections.
In men, gonorrhea can cause a painful
condition called epididymitis in the tubes
attached to the testicles. This could lead
to infertility. Infection of the prostate
gland may lead to scarring of the urethra
causing difficulty in passing out urine.
Gonorrhea can also cause infection of
bone and joints, which could be life
threatening
Untreated gonorrhea can increase a
person’s risk of acquiring or transmitting
HIV infection
How gonorrhea affects
pregnancy and childbirth
A pregnant woman with gonorrhea may
pass on the infection to her baby during
the process of delivery and this can cause
serious health problems for the baby.
Gonorrhea in a pregnant woman can also
cause premature delivery or spontaneous
abortion. Therefore prompt treatment of
gonorrhea during pregnancy is necessary
to avoid bad outcomes.
How is gonorrhea diagnosed?
The most common test for the diagnosis
of gonorrhea is urine test. In this test,
urine samples are taken and sent to the
laboratory for analysis. In some cases, a
swab may be used to collect a sample
from a man’s urethra (urine canal) or a
woman’s cervix (opening to the womb).
However, if a person has had oral and/or
anal sex, swabs may be used to collect
samples from the throat and/or rectum
and sent to the lab for analyses.
The tests may need a couple of day to be
ready.
Gonorrhea and chlamydia, another
common sexually transmitted disease,
often occur together, so you may be
tested and treated for both.
What is the treatment for gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea can be cured with the right
treatment, and the cure rate is usually
over 90%. Medication for gonorrhea will
stop the infection, but it will not repair
any permanent damage done by the
disease. If a person’s symptoms continue
for more than a few days after receiving
treatment, he or she should return to a
health care provider to be reevaluated.
Gonorrhea Medications
The fluoroquinolones are a powerful
group of antibiotics used to treat many
infections and are good for gonorrhea
infections. Examples include:
· Ciprofloxacin
· Ofloxacin
· Levofloxacin
· Moxifloxacin
However, because of increasing resistance
of many tested samples of N. gonorrhoeae
to the fluoroquinolone drugs, the CDC
now recommends that only one class of
antibiotics, the cephalosporins, be used to
treat gonorrheal infections.
Examples of these drugs include:
· Rocephine (injectable)
· Cefuroxime
· Cefixime
· Cefaclor
For women who are pregnant or younger
than 18 years of age, the doctor will
usually prescribe the injection, usually
one shot instead of a pill.
Sexual partners are to be treated
as well
A person who is diagnosed and treated for
gonorrhea should inform all recent sexual
partners so they can be diagnosed and
treated as well. This will both reduce the
risk of serious complications from
gonorrhea in the sex partner and the
person’s risk of reinfection.
A person with gonorrhea and all of his or
her sex partners must avoid having sex
until they have completed their treatment
for gonorrhea and until they are
adequately treated.
How can gonorrhea be
prevented?
Gonorrhea can be prevented by:
· Use latex condoms correctly when
having sexual intercourse
· Maintain a mutually monogamous
relationship with a partner who has been
tested and is known to be uninfected
· Avoid sexual contact with high-risk
partners
· Treat infected sexual partners or have
them tested before having sexual
relations
· Treating other sexually transmitted
diseases including syphilis, chlamydia,
and HIV/AIDS
References:
Gonorrhea, CDC fact sheets, http://
www.cdc.gov/std/gonorrhea/stdfact-
gonorrhea.htm
Emedicinehealth.com, Gonorrhea http://
www.emedicinehealth.com/gonorrhea/
article_em.htm