Gonorrhea
What is
gonorrhea?
What
are the symptoms of gonorrhea?
What is the treatment for gonorrhea?
What complications of gonorrhea may occur?
What is the risk of gonorrhea to a pregnant woman?
What are some preventive measures for gonorrhea?
Also
See:
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
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What is gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea is caused
by the gonococcus, a bacterium that grows and multiplies quickly in moist,
warm areas of the body such as the cervix, urethra, mouth, or rectum. In
women, the cervix is the most common site of infection. However, the
disease can spread to the uterus (womb) and fallopian tubes, resulting in
pelvic inflammatory disease (PID); this can cause infertility and ectopic
(tubal) pregnancy. Gonorrhea is most commonly spread during genital
contact, but it can also be passed from the genitals of one partner to the
throat of the other during oral sex (pharyngeal gonorrhea). Gonorrhea of
the rectum can occur in people who practice anal intercourse and may also
occur in women due to spread of the infection from the vaginal area.
What are the symptoms
of gonorrhea?
The early symptoms
of gonorrhea often are mild, and most women who are infected have no
symptoms of the disease. If symptoms of gonorrhea develop, they usually
appear within 2 to 10 days after sexual contact with an infected partner,
although a small percentage of patients may be infected for several months
without showing symptoms. The initial symptoms in women include a painful
or burning sensation when urinating or an abnormal vaginal discharge. More
advanced symptoms, which indicate progression to pelvic inflammatory
disease (PID), include abdominal pain, bleeding between menstrual periods,
vomiting, or fever. Symptoms of rectal infection include discharge, anal
itching, and sometimes painful bowel movements.
What is the treatment
for gonorrhea?
Ampicillin,
amoxicillin, or some type of penicillin used to be recommended for the
treatment of gonorrhea. Because penicillin-resistant gonorrhea is
increasing, other antibiotics that are given by injection such as
ceftriazone or spectinomycin now are used to treat most gonoccal
infections. Other new antibiotics can be taken by mouth.
Gonorrhea often
occurs together with chlamydial infection, another common sexually
transmitted disease (STD). Therefore, doctors usually prescribe a
combination of antibiotics, such as ceftriazone and doxycycline, to treat
both diseases. All sex partners of a person with gonorrhea should be
tested and treated appropriately, even if they do not have symptoms of
infection.
What
complications of gonorrhea may occur?
If gonorrhea is not
treated, the bacteria can spread to the bloodstream and infect the joints,
heart valves, or the brain. The most common consequence of gonorrhea,
however, is PID, a serious infection of the female reproductive organs
that occurs in an estimated 1 million American women each year. PID can
scar or damage cells lining the fallopian tubes, resulting in infertility
in as many as 10 percent of women affected. In others, the damage prevents
the proper passage of the fertilized egg into the uterus. If this happens,
the egg may implant in the tube; this is called an ectopic or tubal
pregnancy and is life-threatening to the mother if not detected early.
What is the
risk of gonorrhea to a pregnant woman?
An infected woman
who is pregnant may give the infection to her infant as the baby passes
through the birth canal during delivery. Most states require that the eyes
of newborns be treated with silver nitrate or other medication immediately
after birth to prevent gonococcal infection of the eyes, which can lead to
blindness. Because of the risk of gonococcal infection to both mother and
child, doctors recommend that a pregnant woman have at least one test for
gonorrhea during her pregnancy. Women who are pregnant should not take
doxylcycline and usually are given an alternative antibiotic such as
erythromycin.
What are
some preventive measures for gonorrhea?
Because gonorrhea is
highly contagious and yet may cause no symptoms, all men and women who
have sexual contact with more than one partner should be tested regularly
for the disease. Using condoms (rubbers) during sexual intercourse is very
effective in preventing the spread of infection. Diaphragms may also
reduce the risk of transmission. Constant awareness and precautions are
necessary because a person who has once contracted the disease does not
become immune--many people acquire gonorrhea more than once.
from
The Office On Women's Health - US Department of Health and Human Services
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