Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea, also known as "The Clap", is a sexually transmitted disease that is caused by rapidly multiplying bacteria, and is very common. Any sexually active person can get gonorrhea, but it is most often found in teens, and young adults.

Fact

Ejaculation does not have to occur for you to transmit or contract gonorrhea.

Even though gonorrhea is curable, if you are treated for Gonorrhea you can still contract it again if you have sexual contact with another person that has it, or if your partner is not also treated.

More than 700,000 people are diagnosed with Gonorrhea every year in the united states. Many of those are teens.

Any sexually active person can get gonorrhea.

How Do You Get Gonorrhea?

Sexual contact with the penis, vagina, anus, or mouth.

During childbirth, it can be passed from the infected mother to the baby.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Gonorrhea?

Some people may have no symptoms at all. Most times, signs and symptoms will show up 5-10 days after exposure, though it can take up to 30 days.

Men

• Burning sensation when urinating
• White, Yellow, or Green discharge from the penis 
• Painful, or swollen testicles

Women

• Most symptoms in women are mild, or non-existent (no symptoms)
• Often, women's symptoms are mistaken for a bladder, or vaginal infection
• Painful or burning sensation when urinating
• Increased vaginal discharge
• Vaginal bleeding between periods
• Women how contract gonorrhea are at serious risk for health complications, regardless of the severity of the symptoms

What Do I Do If I think I May Have Gonorrhea?

Go to your Dr. or gynecologist and inform them of your symtoms. The Dr. can do a "culture" which means that will take a small swab/sample of your discharge and send it to a lab to be analyzed.

It is a simple procedure and takes only a minute or two, and you can have the results in about a week or two.

If the results are positive, the Dr. will prescribe medication to get rid of the infection, and will also ask that your partner come in for an exam. Your partner must be treated as well, or you risk getting re-infected.

What Can Happen If I Don't Get Treated?

Gonorrhea, especially for women, is very dangerous if left untreated. That is why it is a required test for any sexually active female, during her yearly PAP smear/pelvic exam, and is so important that if you have any signs or symptoms of gonorrhea, or if you have participated in any kind of sexual contact, you should be tested IMMEDIATELY.

Untreated Gonorrhea can lead to:

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Infertility

Ectopic Pregnancy

Internal Absesses of the reproductive tract

Increased risk of HIV

Blood and Joint infection

Death

Epididymitus in Men, which is a painful testicle ducts, which causes infertility

What Is The Treament For Gonorrhea?

The treatment for gonorrhea is anitbiotics, however, gonorrhea has recently begun to mutat, and form antibiotic resistant bacteria, which means that the bacteria are becoming stronger and not responding to presribed drugs.

Treatments for Gonorrhea will, in most cases, completely cure you of the disease, however, you can become re-infected if yourpartner is not treated, or if you have sexual contact with someone else who is infected.

Though the antibiotics can cure you, it cannot reverse any damage that was done to your reproductive organs prior to treament. If gonorrhea has been left untreated, and has made you infertile, taking the medication will cure the gonorrhea, but it will not make you able to have children again.

For More Info:

The Center For Disease Control

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease