Gonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
The cervixThe part of the uterus that protrudes into the vaginal cavity. It is separated from the bladder by the parametrium. The vaginal end of the cervix contains the cervical canal.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. is usually the first place of infection and it can quickly spread to the uterus, fallopian tubesAlso called the oviduct, it is one of a pair of ducts that lead from the peritoneal cavity over the ovary to the uterus. The tubes serve to lead the ovum to the uterus and the spermatozoa to the ovaries. The fallopian tubes are located in the lower abdomen by a broad ligament called the mesosalpinx.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions., vulvaThe external genitalia, consisting in women of the mons veneris, the labia majora, the labia minora, the vestibule of the vagina, the urinary meatus and the vestibular glands. In men it consists of the penis, scrotum and the testes.Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions., vagina, fallopian tubes, genital tract, and rectum. Pelvic inflammatory disease, a common cause of female infertility, can be a complication if left untreated. Gonorrhea can also reside in the mouth or rectum.
About eighty percent (4 in 5) women have no symptoms, at least during the early stages of the disease. The development of symptoms will depend on the site of the infection and may take several months to appear. Since gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease, the bacteria is carried in the vaginal fluids, and early symptoms may include bleeding associated with intercourse, a painful, burning sensation when urinating and a yellowish or bloody vaginal discharge. If the disease is allowed to progress early symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease may appear including cramps and pain, vaginal bleeding, fever and vomiting.
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If the bacteria is located in the rectum symptoms usually appear between two and five days after infection, but may take up to a month. Painful bowel movements, rectal bleeding, discharge, and anal itching are common symptoms of a rectal infection.
There are three tests used to confirm a diagnosis of gonorrhea. The simplest test is the gram stain test in which a smear of cervical discharge is stained with dye and examined for gonorrheal bacteria through a microscope. The benefit of the test is a quick response, but while the test provides an accurate result for men, it is only fifty percent accurate for women. A better test for women is a culture test in which a swab of discharge is incubated for up to two days and the cultured bacteria analyzed for gonorrheal infection. The accuracy of this test is dependent on the site where the sample is sourced. Cervical culture testing can detect the disease with ninety percent accuracy. The most accurate test uses a cervical swab or urine sample to detect the genes or DNA of the bacteria.
Even if you are unaware of a gonorrhea infection it may be discovered during an annual checkup when your doctor will check your cervix for any abnormal discharge and a swab will be cultured for routine screening. Unless your doctor specifically requests a test for gonorrhea the results may not reveal the presence of a gonorrhea infection. If you are concerned that you may have contracted gonorrhea ask your doctor to perform a second culture test for gonorrhea a week after the first.
If a gonorrheal infection is confirmed your sexual partners should be alerted, tested and treated, even if no symptoms are evident. Symptoms of gonorrhea for men include a white, yellow or green pus discharge from the penis combined with a painful burning sensation, especially when urinating. Some men may also have swollen testicles.
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Gonorrhea is transmitted through sexual intercourse and depending on the nature of the activity the infection may be found in the vagina, rectum or mouth. Consistent use of barrier contraception will reduce the risk of contracting gonorrhea.
The risk of contracting gonorrhea is as high as thirty percent (1 in 3) following one sexual contact with an infected partner. If hormonal contraception is being used the incidence rises to almost one hundred percent.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), seventy five percent of gonorrhea infections are found in people aged 15 to 29. Those most at risk are women aged 15 to 19, and men aged 20 to 24.
If left untreated gonorrhea can cause several complications. The most common and most dangerous to women is pelvic inflammatory disease. PID is a serious infection of the female reproductive system, which may result in scarring of the fallopian tubes, blocking them and preventing proper implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterus. Pelvic inflammatory disease often results in ectopic pregnancy or infertility.
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Very rarely the gonorrhea bacteria can enter the bloodstream where is quickly spreads to infect the joints, heart or brain. In men the disease can also lead to infertility through a condition called epididymitis, which causes tremendous pain in the testicles. Both men and women increase their risk of contracting HIV, the virus which develops into AIDS, if gonorrhea is left untreated.
If gonorrhea is present during pregnancy there is a chance that the baby will be infected as it passes through the birth canalThe passage through which the baby passes during delivery from the inlet of the true pelvis to the vaginal orifice.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions.. Congenital infection with gonorrhea results in gonorrheal opthalmia, an inflammation of the eyes. After your baby is delivered drops of silver nitrate or similar medication will be applied to your baby's eyes to prevent infection.
For women who are not pregnant the treatment of gonorrhea is simple. A single dose of ceftriaxone (Rocephin
Since the incidence of chlamydia is higher than that of gonorrhea, it is assumed you will have contracted both diseases. You will be given a prescription of doxycycline to treat chlamydia in addition to the antibiotics or penicillin to treat your gonorrhea.
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