Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted disease. The infection can affect many parts of the body, but it usually shows up first in the genital area. Gonorrhea is caused by bacteria and is very contagious. The bacteria can enter the body through any body opening, such as the mouth, vagina, penis, or rectum. The infection is passed from person to person during sex.

In men, the infection usually starts in the urethra. The urethra carries urine from the bladder out of the body. In women, the infection usually starts in the cervix. The cervix is the opening of the uterus inside the vagina. The bacteria may also infect the throat or rectum during oral or anal sex. A baby can be infected during childbirth if the mother has gonorrhea. When the baby passes through the birth canal, the bacteria can infect the baby's eyes. If gonorrhea is not treated, it can spread to other organs, such as the uterus and testicles, where it can cause serious problems, including a loss of the ability to have children. It can also spread to the joints, the brain, and the heart. It can be life threatening.

You can have gonorrhea without having any obvious symptoms. When you do have symptoms, they usually start 2 to 10 days after you were exposed to the disease. Symptoms you may have are:

• burning or pain when you urinate
• feeling like you need to urinate often, or
• a sore throat after oral sex

Men may have a thick, yellow discharge from the penis. Women may have:

• a thick, creamy, yellow discharge from the vagina, which may have a bad odor
• pain in your belly, or
• abnormal menstrual bleeding

If a baby gets gonorrhea during childbirth, one or both of the baby's eyes get severely inflamed.

Gonorrhea is treated with antibiotic medicine. Many people with gonorrhea also have chlamydia, which is another sexually transmitted disease. Because of this, you may be given more than 1 drug to treat your infections.

Everyone with whom you have had sex in the last 3 months must also be treated, even if they have no symptoms. You can get infected again or infect others if you have sex before both you and your partner have finished all of the medicine.

Using latex or polyurethane condoms during foreplay and vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse can help lower the risk of getting gonorrhea.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

HIA File infd4512.htm Release 13/2010