According to the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC), gonorrhea (which also has the nicknames "the drip", or "clap") is a very common sexually transmitted disease. Annually, the CDC estimates more than 700,000 in the U.S. contract gonorrhea. Interestingly enough, more than 50 percent of women diagnosed with gonorrhea also have chlamydia.
According to the CDC, here are some of the symptoms for gonorrhea for men and women.
Symptoms of gonorrhea for men include:
• Men may display no symptoms at all
or
• Symptoms appear one to fourteen days after infection
• Burning sensation when urinating
• White, yellow, or green discharge from the penis
• Painful or swollen testicles
• Gonorrhea in the throat can cause a sore throat
• Rectal infection symptoms
o Discharge
o Itching
o Soreness
o Bleeding
o Painful bowl movements
Symptoms of gonorrhea for women include:
• Women may display mild symptoms
or
• Women may display no symptoms
or
• Female symptoms may be mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection
• Painful or burning sensation when urinating
• Increased vaginal discharge
• Vaginal bleeding between periods
• Gonorrhea in the throat can cause a sore throat
• Rectal infection symptoms
o Discharge
o Itching
o Soreness
o Bleeding
o Painful bowl movements
Serious complications can develop in women, as well as men, with gonorrhea.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, complications from gonorrhea in women include:
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Heart valve infection
• Infertility
• Scarring of the fallopian tubes (Salpingitis)
• Meningitis
• Pregnant women with severe gonorrhea may pass the disease to their baby while in the womb or during delivery
• Joint infections
Complications in men may include:
• Meningitis
• Pus around the urethra
• Heart valve infection
• Scarring or narrowing of the urethra
• Joint infections
Gonorrhea is treatable. Gonorrhea is generally treated with antibiotics. However, recently there have been strains of drug-resistant gonorrhea. The CDC’s website said, they "currently recommend dual therapy for the treatment of gonorrhea."
To find out if you have gonorrhea, a doctor will order a gram stain test or a culture. The health care professional takes a swap of the infected area. The results of your test are available in 24-72 hours.
The best way to prevent gonorrhea is abstinence. Also, female and male condoms are recommended to reduce your risk of gonorrhea and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Sources:
STD Facts - Gonorrhea. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved August 29, 2011, from
http://www.cdc.gov/std/gonorrhea/stdfact-gonorrhea.htm
Gonorrhea - Symptoms, Test & Treatment. Sexual & Reproductive Health - Sex Education - Planned Parenthood. Retrieved August 29, 2011, from http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/stds-hiv-safer-sex/gonorrhea-4269.htm
Gonorrhea - PubMed Health. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved August 29, 2011, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004526/
Reviewed August 30, 2011
by Michele Blacksberg R.N.
Edited by Jody Smith