It's one of the most common diseases in the U.S.
By Julie H. Case, Woman'sDay
[post_ads]When it comes to sexually
transmitted infections, the second most commonly reported communicable
disease in the U.S.—gonorrhea—is a sly one. It's spread through
unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Gonorrhea can be stealthy
because while some infected men may experience a burning sensation when
urinating, have discharge from the penis, or occasionally even painful
or swollen testicles, there are often no gonorrhea symptoms in women who
have been infected.
"Most
people who are female don't have symptoms," says June Gupta, a women's
health nurse practitioner and the associate director of medical
standards for Planned Parenthood Federation of America. "If they do,
it's usually pain or burning with urination, yellow or bloody discharge,
or spotting or bleeding between periods."
When symptoms of gonorrhea are present in women they might include:
1. Painful urination: There might be a burning sensation when urinating
2. Spotting: Bleeding between periods can be a tell-tale sign
3. Heavy discharge: Experiencing more vaginal discharge than normal is a red flag
Sometimes,
when symptoms are present, they are so mild as to be undetectable,
although a health care provider might notice unusual discharge, for
example, during a pelvic exam.
[post_ads_2]
These
symptoms are also easily confused with those of more innocuous
infections—such as bladder or vaginal infections. Much like hemorrhoids,
rectal infections in either sex might produce such anal discharge or
itching, soreness, painful bowel movements, and even bleeding.
The good news is that most gonorrhea can be cured with antibiotics—although a recent spike in a drug-resistant strain of gonorrhea
has proven troubling. When gonorrhea is ignored or left untreated,
however, it can be devastating. In men, it can cause sterility. In
women, untreated gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which
may result in scar tissue that blocks fallopian tubes and causes ectopic
pregnancy, long-term pelvic or abdominal pain, or infertility.
[post_ads_2]
So,
how do you know if you have gonorrhea? Get tested. A urine test should
serve up an answer, although your doctor may also want to perform an
oral, anal, or cervical swab to collect additional results.
The
cure for gonorrhea is a relatively painless, says Gupta: Most patients
receive a single injection of an antibiotic. In some cases patients may
also receive an antibiotic pill. During treatment, and for seven days
after, you should abstain from sex. If you do test positive, it's also
important to have an immediate conversation with your partner. In this
case, sharing is not caring. Not only is it important to prevent
transmission to someone else, you also want to eliminate the possibility
of immediate reinfection. After all, people with this STI are hardly
alone: the CDC estimates there are nearly 820,000 new infections of gonorrhea in the U.S. every year.
More:
