In the early stages, 80% of women
infected with Gonorrhea have no visible signs of infection.
Gonorrhea is not limited to the sex organs. It can also infect the mouth or
throat as a result of oral sex.
If left untreated, gonorrhea can cause: pelvic inflammatory disease (PID),
infertility, crippling arthritis and blindness in newborns
Gonorrhea is a curable sexually transmitted disease.
The urine test is highly specific (98.9%).
What is Gonorrhea infection?
Gonorrhea is also a curable sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a
bacterium which usually infects a man's urethra and a woman's cervix. Gonorrhea
is not limited to the sex organs. It can also infect the mouth or throat as a
result of oral sex. The rectum can be infected as well, either indirectly by
drainage from the vagina or cervix or directly due to anal sex.
Gonorrhea is much more aggressive than Chlamydia and usually produces lots of
pus and pain in men though it may be silent for a while in women. A small number
of people may be infected for several months without showing symptoms.
Symptoms
In the early stages, 80% of infected women have no visible signs of infection.
When symptoms are evident, they appear two days to three weeks after sexual
contact with an infected partner. Symptomatic women usually have a vaginal
discharge and a recurring minor infection. Men usually exhibit symptoms. These
include a discharge from the penis and a severe burning sensation during
urination.
Complications
If left untreated, gonorrhea can cause: v pelvic inflammatory disease (PID),
infertility, crippling arthritis (Reiter's syndrome), blindness in newborns (the
eyes of newborns are always treated with either silver nitrate or an antibiotic
to protect them from this disease). Gonorrhea is not limited to the sex organs.
It can also infect the mouth or throat as a result of oral sex.
Testing
A culture test detects gonorrhea. A sample of discharge is obtained from the
woman's cervix or the man's urethra. These samples are tested later in a
laboratory for the presence of the gonorrheal bacteria's DNA .A new test that
uses urine for a DNA PCR analysis also detects the bacteria. The urine tests are
as accurate or more so than culturing the bacteria, and many doctors use them as
does the US Military.
Treatment
Gonorrhea can be cured with penicillin or other antibiotics. To avoid
re-infection, all sexual partners must be treated. As with other infections,
however, complications resulting from gonorrhea, including sterility, may not be
reversible.
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