Gonorrhea

    Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD).

Gonorrhea is caused by a bacterial infection of the cervix in women or the urethra in men by the gonococcal bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The anus, throat and eyes can also be infected by gonorrhea. Gonorrhea is diagnosed by testing a small sample of cells or discharge taken from a woman’s cervix or a man’s urethra. Any person who engages in sexual activity can contract and pass on a gonorrhea infection. This includes heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual men and women. The more sexual partners a person has, the greater the risk of catching a gonorrhea infection. Gonorrhea can also be passed from an infected mother to her baby during vaginal delivery.

Infection with gonorrhea is more common in certain groups of people. The highest reported infection rates occur in the following groups:

Adolescents and young adults

People (often poor) living in urban areas

African Americans

Drug users

Prostitutes

People who practice unsafe sex (i.e. do not use condoms during vaginal, anal or oral sex); who have multiple sex partners, or whose partners have multiple sex partners; have a history of sexually transmitted diseases; and those under the age of 30 are at increased risk of being infected with gonorrhea.

How is gonorrhea transmitted?

As with most STDs, gonorrhea is primarily spread through vaginal, anal or oral sex. It is important to note, however, that ejaculation is not necessary for transmission to occur. In addition, people who have been treated for gonorrhea can become infected again if they have sexual contact with someone with the disease.

 Symptoms

In women, the symptoms of gonorrhea are often mild, but most women who are infected have no symptoms. Symptoms of gonorrhea will take anywhere between two and ten days to become visible- although visible signs can take as long as 30 days to appear. For women, the first area to become noticeably infected is usually the cervix. From there, the infection moves up into the uterus and subsequently, into the fallopian tubes. However, women are also much more likely than men to be asymptomatic- in other words, it's much more common that women won't experience any symptoms at all. In fact, as many as 50% of women with gonorrhea do not experience any apparent symptoms of the disease. If they do develop symptoms, they are likely to include:

• bleeding after sex
• pain or burning sensation when urinating
• need to urinate more frequently
• vaginal discharge that is yellow or bloody

cramps

• bleeding between periods
• nausea or vomiting
• fever.

In men, gonorrhea symptoms include an unusual white, yellow or green discharge from the penis, which is often accompanied by pain, a burning sensation when urinating and swollen testicles. If the infection is in the rectum, symptoms will include discharge, anal itching and painful bowel movements. You may also have bloody stool.

If infected in the oral cavity, symptoms will likely include a sore throat and/or a puss-like substance on the tonsils or back of the throat. It is important that these symptoms be treated as soon as possible as gonorrhea can easily spread to other parts of the body.

Prevention

Use latex condoms correctly every time you have sex

A condom put on the penis before starting sex and worn until the penis is withdrawn can help protect both the male and the female partner from gonorrhea. When a male condom cannot be used appropriately, sex partners should consider using a female condom.

Condoms do not provide complete protection from all STDs. Sores and lesions of other STDs on infected men and women may be present in areas not covered by the condom, resulting in transmission of infection to another person.

Limit the number of sex partners, and do not go back and forth between partners .

Practice sexual abstinence, or limit sexual contact to one uninfected partner .

If you think you are infected, avoid sexual contact and see a health care provider immediately.

gonorrhea is highly contagious and yet may cause no symptoms, all men and women who have sexual contact with more than one partner should be tested regularly for the disease. Using condoms (rubbers) during sexual intercourse is very effective in preventing the spread of infection. Diaphragms may also reduce the risk of transmission. Constant awareness and precautions are necessary because a person who has once contracted the disease does not become immune--many people acquire gonorrhea more than once.

Treatment

Recommended several treatment options which include:

• Cefixime 400 mg orally in a single dose,
• Ceftriaxone 125 mg IM in a single dose,
• Ciprofloxacin 500 mg orally in a single dose,
• Ofloxacin 400 mg orally in a single dose, PLUS Azithromycin 1 g orally in a single dose,
• Doxycycline 100 mg orally twice a day for 7 days

Patients who are unable to tolerate these treatments can be offered alternative pharmaceutical treatments.

·  If Gonorrhea Not Treated

Gonorrhea infection can spread through the bloodstream to other parts of the body, causing damage & serious problems.

In women, it can cause:

life-threatening complications such as ectopic pregnancy (outside the womb)

blocked fallopian tubes (the tubes which carry the egg from the ovaries to the womb), which can result in reduced fertility or infertility

long-term pelvic pain

In men, it can lead to:

painful inflammation of the testicles, which may result in reduced fertility or sterility