Key points
- The highest number of incidences of gonorrhea is found among African-Americans, teenagers, and young adults.
- Though easily treatable, it may cause permanent damage to the body in certain cases.
- The most serious complication this STD produces is infertility.
- People who have suffered from any other STD are at a higher risk of getting Gonorrhea.
- Gonorrhea does not spread by sharing toilets, swimming pools, or utensils, as bacteria are unable to survive long outside the body.
How does it enter the body?
Bacteria enter the body through warm and moist areas of the body like eyes, throat, vagina, anus, urethra, uterus, fallopian tubes, and cervix. Infection happens during unprotected oral, vaginal, and anal sex with an infected person.
An infected mother can pass on the infection to her baby during childbirth.
Symptoms
Some people never show any symptoms at all, despite having an active infection. In case the symptoms appear, they do so between 1-14 days after the bacteria enter the body.
In women, the symptoms are:
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Bleeding after sexual intercourse
- Heavier menstruation
- Green or yellow vaginal discharge
- Fever
- Pain during urination and frequent urination
- Pelvic or abdominal pain
- Vomiting
- Pain, bleeding, or itching while passing stool
- Anal discharge
- Bleeding between menstrual cycles
- Swelling in vulva
- Swollen, painful, red, and warm joints
- Discharge from the eyes that looks like pus, pain in eyes, sensitivity to light
- Swelling in neck lymph nodes, sore throat, itchy throat, difficulty in swallowing
In men, the symptoms are:
- Green, yellow, or white discharge from the urethra that looks like pus
- Pain in scrotum or testicles
- Pain during urination and frequent urination
- Pain, bleeding, or itching while passing stool
- Swelling in neck lymph nodes, sore throat, itchy throat, difficulty in swallowing
- Swollen, painful, red, and warm joints
- Discharge from the eyes that looks like pus, pain in eyes, sensitivity to light
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Diagnosis
In order to draw a diagnosis STD Express Clinic requires a simple blood or urine analysis. Testing is quick and painless, and the payment and diagnosis are handled in secure and confidential manner. Results are available shortly after testing on the same day in most circumstances, allowing you to get on with treatment promptly.
Treatment
Gonorrhea can be treated and cured.
At STD Express Clinic, testing for gonorrhea is easy and takes only minutes. If a positive diagnosis is determined, treatment is available in-house and may consist of:
- Antibiotics like a shot of ceftriaxone and an oral dose of azithromycin
- Abstinence from sex during the treatment
- Re-testing may be necessary after 7 days of treatment, in case the doctor recommends so
“Super gonorrhea” – antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea bacteria strain
There’s recently been an emergence of a bacteria strain that shows resistance to antibiotics. This antibiotic-resistance gonorrhea has developed immunity to all but one class of antibiotics. This strain was detected in 15 people in Britain in 2015. Since then, the number has risen to 34 and is also present in New York City.
Such cases demand a broad-base treatment that involves the use of two different antibiotics. This is called Dual Therapy. STD Express Clinic follows the CDC guidelines in the case a positive diagnosis of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea is found.
Research is ongoing to develop vaccines against gonorrhea.
What if gonorrhea is left untreated?
If left untreated, gonorrhea can cause permanent health damage.
In women, it can cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), which causes:
- Ectopic pregnancy, which is pregnancy outside the womb
- Long term abdominal or pelvic pain
- Development of scar tissue that causes blockage of fallopian tubes
- Infertility
In men, this STD can cause:
- Epididymitis: This is a condition that causes inflammation of the tubes that pass sperm to the testicles. A severe case may render a man sterile, i.e., he won’t be able to father a child.
In rare cases, untreated gonorrhea infection spreads to the joints and blood. This could prove to be fatal.
An untreated infection can also increase the risk of getting HIV.
Prevention
- Use protection during oral, vaginal, and anal sex.
- Follow monogamy.
Please schedule STD testing as soon as you or your sex partner suspects an infection.
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