Gonorrhea

Overview of gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is the result of a bacterial infection called Neisseria Gonorrhoeae. Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease, although sexual intercourse is not required for the disease to be transmitted. Known as the clap, the drip or GC, Gonorrhea can also be transmitted during oral sex with an infected partner.

Pregnant mothers who are infected with the disease can transmit Gonorrhea to their newborns during vaginal delivery.

Roughly 600,000 reported cases of Gonorrhea appear annually, making it the second most reported sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the United States. Despite the fact that Gonorrhea is the second highest reported STD, it is estimated that another 1 million cases go unreported annually in America.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 75% of the reported cases are in people between the ages of 15 and 29 years of age. Teenage girls between the ages of 15 to 19 and men between the ages of 20 and 24 have the highest reported rates of infection, indicating sexual activity between older men and younger girls to be prevalent.

Gonorrhea infection occurs in the urethra of men and woman, but can also occur in the cervix of a woman. The Gonorrhea virus can also infect the pelvic organs, throat, rectum and occasionally the membrane that lines the eyelid and eyes, similar to pink eye.

Once you have been infected with Gonorrhea, you will remain infected until treated by a doctor. Once the treatment regiment has concluded and you are cured of the symptoms of Gonorrhea, you are still susceptible to re-infection.

Like most sexually transmitted diseases, almost 50% of the infected men and woman in the country do not know that they have the disease. This is because the symptoms are not always noticeable. If symptoms are to develop from Gonorrhea, on average they appear with in 2 to 5 days after infection. In some cases, symptoms did not occur for up to 30 days.

The following symptoms are common for women infected with Gonorrhea:
• Abnormal vaginal discharge
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding with intercourse or between periods
• Anal itching, pain, bleeding or discharge
• Fever and general tiredness
• Genital itching
• Irregular menstrual bleeding
• Lower abdominal pain
• Painful or frequent urination
• Painful sexual intercourse
• Swollen and painful glands at the opening of the vagina

Gonorrhea, if treated promptly, will not lead to long-term difficulties. If left untreated for a prolonged period, women may experience one or more reproductive complications, including infertility.

The following symptoms are common for men infected with Gonorrhea:
• Anal itching, pain, bleeding or discharge
• Fever and general tiredness
• Genital itching
• Painful or frequent urination
• Painful sexual intercourse

Treatment of Gonorrhea is done with antibiotics. It is important to follow the treatment regiment as directed to insure an effective cure. It is advised to avoid sexual activity while being treated and for one week after treatment ends. Any sexual partners, with whom you were involved and to whom you may have transferred Gonorrhea, need to be notified and advised to seek treatment.