GONORRHEA

Symptoms in women

Around 50% of women with gonorrhea have either no symptoms, or such mild ones that they are commonly ignored. Early symptoms include increased vaginal discharge, irritation of the external genitals, pain or burning on urination and abnormal menstrual bleeding. Untreated women develop severe complications. The infection will usually spread to the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries, causing Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), though not only caused by gonorrhea, is the most common cause of female infertility. Early symptoms of PID are lower abdominal pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, and pain during intercourse.

Symptoms in men

Painful, yellowish discharge from the penis, accompanied by frequent urination. Symptoms develop from 2 to 30 days after contact. Roughly 20% of infected men have no symptoms. Later stages of the infection may move into the prostate, seminal vesicles and epididymis, causing severe pain and fever. Rare cases can lead to septic arthritis. Untreated, gonorrhea can lead to sterility.

Treatment

Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection, and is therefore treated with standard antibiotics, usually a member of the penicillin family. Today antibiotics from other anti biotic group are also used.

Transmission

The bacteria that cause gonorrhea can be passed through sexual contact.

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