Gonorrhea- A Problematic Sexually Transmitted Disease

Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 4:24
Pleasure, Sexual Health
352 views
Add a comment

Gonorrhea is one of the oldest sexually transmitted diseases (STD) known to man and is also referred to as the clap or the drip. The main culprit behind catching this infection is having unprotected sex with a number of partners. Other causes for contracting gonorrhea include using infected syringes for drug abuse and visiting sex workers.

Gonorrhea is known to afflict more than 400,000 individuals in the United States each year. The highest cases of gonorrhea are reported among individuals falling in the age group of 15-24 years.

If left untreated, gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and resultant infertility in women and epididymitis and urethritis in men. The disease can also result in the development of arthritis and rashes in some cases. An infant passing through the birth canal of an infected mother during delivery can contract gonococcal conjunctivitis, an eye infection that may result in blindness.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the organism known to cause gonorrhea. It thrives in moist parts of the body such as the throat, cervix, anal canal, vagina and urethra. It is incapable of living outside these warm and moist conditions and dies when exposed to air and light. Thus, one cannot contract this infection from utensils, toilet seats, towels etc.

Symptoms of Gonorrhea:

Gonorrhea may or may not cause any symptoms, but in case it does they make an appearance within 2-7 of infection. In men the symptoms include a thick yellowish or greenish discharge from the penis, pain or burning while urinating and inflammation of the opening of the urethra. The lymph glands in the groin too may swell up or enlarge.

Most women have no symptoms when afflicted by gonorrhea. However, if all they do, the symptoms include increased vaginal discharge, pain during urination and severe menstrual cramps. Up to 40% of women with gonorrhea go on to develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and painful abscesses in the Bartholin’s glands. Individuals participating in oral sex can contract infection of the throat resulting in the formation of pus on the tonsils and sore throat.

If the anal canal is infected, there may be itching, pain in the rectum and blood or pus in the stools.