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Gonorrhea

Description
Another very common disease (about 700,000 people each year), gonorrhea is contagious and is spread via sexual activity. It occurs most in individuals who have multiple sex partners and is caused by a bacteria that grows and replicates easily in mucus membranes within the human body. Gonorrhea grows in warm, moist areas of the reproductive tract including cervix, uterus and fallopian tubes in women, and the urethra in both men & women. The bacteria can also grow in the mouth, throat and anus.

Symptoms
With gonorrhea there are not always symptoms, so knowing exactly when to seek treatment can be a guessing game. When there are symptoms, they crop up within two to ten days of exposure, but may take up to a month to surface in some cases.

Symptoms to watch for are different between men and women.

WOMEN
• frequent urination
• vaginal discharge
• pelvic pain
• bleeding between periods
• spotting after intercourse
NOTE: Gonorrhea can often be mistaken in women for a yeast infection

MEN
• painful urination
• penile discharge
• painful or swollen testicles
NOTE: symptoms usually appear 2-14 days after infection

Test
A doctor will do a full exam, possibly swabbing or sampling fluid from the urethra in men, or from the cervix in women. Samples of discharge, if present, can be utilized to determine if gonorrhea bacteria will grow. Urine can be checked for bacteria, however tests of this nature are not as accurate, but are good for screening.

Of note is the fact that gonorrhea often forms in conjunction with Chlamydia, so testing and subsequent treatment for both are recommended.

Outcomes
Gonorrhea is a curable disease, most often treated with an oral or injectable antibiotic. While it is curable, it is also critical to treat it upon diagnosis because it can develop into more serious medical conditions if left unchecked.

Because of increasing resistance to certain antibiotics, the CDC now recommends one particular class of antibiotics to treat gonorrheal infections: cephalosporins. These may be administered in one-dose injections or pills.

Informing sexual partners of this infection is imperative so they can seek treatment as well and stop the spread of the disease. Once a course of antibiotics is fully completed, or if individuals suspect re-infection, retesting is recommended.