Gonorrhea

General Information on Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is an infection caused by a sexually transmitted disease. It is most common with promiscuous or sexually active adults between the ages of 15 to 29. However, gonorrhea can infect anyone that has had sexual contact with an infected person. Children are no exception. In males gonorrhea usually affects the urethra. In females it may affect the cervix or the urethra. In both sexes it may affect the rectum, throat, and other body parts.

Symptoms of Gonorrhea

Symptoms usually appear within 2 to 30 days after exposure. Many females experience very few symptoms, while males may have many. Such symptoms include:

Burning sensation during urination
Rectal discomfort
Rectal discharge (sometimes)
White, green or yellowish discharge from the urethra
Abdominal cramps (Females only)
Mild sore throat
Eye inflammation (conjunctivitis) - occurs if a patient makes contact with infected genitals followed by touch their eyes

If the infection spreads to other parts of the body, additional symptoms may include any of the following:
Low fever
Rash
Joint pain
Headache
Stiffness
Neck pain

Treatments For Gonorrhea

Your doctor will perform a physical examination. Additional tests may include urine studies, blood studies, and studies of discharged fluids from other parts of the body (penis, vagina, rectum, eyes, etc...). Other tests may be performed to check for additional sexually transmitted disease or complications.

Treatment of Gonorrhea will involve antibiotic therapy for 1 to 2 weeks. Follow up visits will be scheduled to confirm the cure. If the eyes are involved an ophthalmologist will need to be consulted. Rarely, hospital is required. Many patients who do not have symptoms may still be contagious and suffer complications such as spread to infant during birth, blood poisoning, infectious arthritis, heart inflammation, liver infection, PID, and an increased risk for contracting HIV.

If you are experiencing symptoms similar to those listed above, contact your doctor immediately for further diagnosis.

Personal Experience

Gonorrhea - personal experiences