Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease that can be contracted through the exchange of bodily fluids such as blood, semen, and saliva. Also known as "the Clap," gonorrhea is caused by bacteria, which can infect the cervix, urethra, throat, or anus. Most people who contract gonorrhea are under the age of 30. In fact, 75% of all cases in the United States involve men and women between 16 and 30 years old. When treated efficiently, antibiotics cure 95% to 99% of all cases.
Catching a sexually transmitted disease such as Gonorrhea symptoms may leave a person embarrassed and avoiding a visit to the doctor out of fear of the humiliation they might feel. Gonorrhea is no laughing matter however and if you think you may have that or any of the STDs; you should take steps to get yourself treated right away. Gonorrhea can cause complications and put you or your unborn child if you are pregnant at serious risk. Gonorrhea symptoms usually start to appear about two to three days after you were infected.
Gonorrhea can be spread by not only vaginal sex but by anal and oral sex and can even be transmitted from hand to eye if the hand has touched an infected area. Pregnant women can pass this disease on to their children during childbirth.
Symptoms of Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea symptoms in women are abnormal vaginal discharge, abdominal pain, fever, burning while urinating, vomiting, and irregular periods. Women can also get gonorrhea in their throat and mouth via anal sex; symptoms of this include swollen glands and a sore throat. A rare condition called a disseminated gonococcal infection may also occur; Gonorrhea symptoms are fever, painful joints, rash, and sores on the feet, toes, fingers and hands.
For Men, Symptoms of Gonorrhea are usually much milder, with a burning sensation when urinating, and an abnormal discharge from the penis being the only noticeable symptoms. Many men will have no symptoms at all. Men may also get gonorrhea in the mouth, throat and eyes and symptoms will again be a sore throat and swollen glands.
Gonorrhea is usually diagnosed a bit differently in women than in men, for women a swab of the cervix is usually done and a culture is performed. For men the most accurate test is a gram stain test, where a sample of discharge is put under a microscope to observe if any bacteria are present.
Because gonorrhea left untreated can cause complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease in women, infertility and blindness if the infection reaches the eye, it is extremely important to get tested right away if you think you might have gonorrhea or any other STD. Treatment is easy, a course of the proper antibiotic will clear up this infection quickly. Treatment with antibiotics usually lasts for seven days and you should avoid all sexual contact for 14 days to avoid spreading the disease to anyone else.
Be sure to let your partner know if you have been diagnosed, as embarrassing as it may seem, if gonorrhea remains unchecked not only could you contract it again, it could be passed to others, and it could cause complications for your partner.
Gonorrhea can be difficult to diagnose, especially in women. This is because women often exhibit few or no symptoms, or mistake gonorrhea for a mild bladder infection; in fact, as many as 50% of female gonorrhea sufferers experience no symptoms. Men are much more likely to develop symptoms. Gonorrhea can infect the cervix, urethra, anus, and throat. Depending upon how you contracted the disease and how long you've had it for, you may experience symptoms affecting a number of these areas.
Symptoms of gonorrhea generally appear between 2 and 10 days after infection, although it
could take as long as 30 days for your symptoms to appear. If you are a woman and are suffering from gonorrhea, you may experience bleeding after sex and frequent, painful urination. These symptoms are especially common in the early stages of an infection of the cervix. Later symptoms include nausea, fever, vomiting, bleeding between periods, and a yellow or bloody vaginal discharge.
If you are a man infected with gonorrhea, you may experience pain while urinating, frequent urination, and swollen testicles. This indicates an infection of the urethra. You may also notice a white, green, or yellow discharge from the tip of your penis. Your penis will probably look tender and redder than usual and you may notice a swelling of the glands in the groin area.
The gonorrhea bacteria can also infect the anus and throat. Symptoms of an infection in the anus include painful bowel movements, itching, discharge, and bloody stool. An oral infection often causes a sore throat, and a pus-like material on the tonsils or on the back of the throat. Infections in these areas can easily spread to other parts of the body so it is important to get treated as soon as possible.
Possible Consequences of Infection
If it goes untreated, gonorrhea can be a potentially hazardous disease. Women infected with gonorrhea risk developing a variety of complications. The bacteria can easily travel from the cervix into the uterus, and eventually up the fallopian tubes. This can cause a condition called Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). 15% of women who have the infection in their cervix will develop this disease. PID can damage your fallopian tubes and may lead to infertility. It can also increase your chance of having an ectopic pregnancy. This occurs when a fertilized egg grows outside of the uterus, usually inside of the fallopian tubes. Ectopic pregnancies are extremely dangerous and potentially life threatening.
Men who leave their gonorrhea untreated are also at risk for developing epididymitis, a painful condition of the testicles which can ultimately lead to infertility.
If you display any of the symptoms of gonorrhea, or think you may have been exposed, it is important to get tested for the infection as soon as possible. People infected with gonorrhea are more likely to contract Chlamydia or HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Pregnant women are strongly encouraged to be tested for gonorrhea as the infection can be passed on to your child.
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