Most common STDs: Gonorrhea
Gonococia, more commonly known as “the clap”, is not a new sexually transmitted disease. In fact, civilizations as old as Ancient Egypt were already familiar with its symptoms, which were reflected in some of the papyri that have survived to this day.
This surprising resistance suggests that Gonorrhea is practically impossible to eradicate, because the bacterium that causes it, the gonococcus or Neisseria gonorrhoeae, is very smart. It can evolve to become resistant to almost any treatment to the extent that some intractable strains have been detected.
Let’s find a little more about one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs): gonorrhea.
Gonorrhea: symptoms
Like many other STDs, gonorrhea does not usually present symptoms until it is very advanced and has caused other pathologies, such as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.
When symptoms do appear, they usually are urinary discomfort, abnormal vaginal discharge, pain in the lower abdomen and bleeding between periods after sexual intercourse.
Gonorrhea: complications
Absence of symptoms does not mean that gonorrhea is not it a complex disease. Many people infected are not aware of it until they detect the signs of other diseases caused by gonorrhea:
In men:
- Post-gonococcal urethritis, between 2-5 days after sexual contact, it shows as a yellowish-green urethral discharge, abundant and of creamy or purulent consistency accompanied by a burning sensation. It can also be caused by chlamydia, since these two diseases usually occur at the same time.
- Epididymitis: pain and testicular inflammation.
In women:
- Salpingitis
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID).
Less common complications in both sexes can be:
- Disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI): more frequent in women than in men, it results from a primary focus badly treated or that went unnoticed (1-2% of untreated cases). It may present with fever, arthritis, dermatitis, endocarditis or meningitis.
- Gonococcal arthritis
- Eye infections
In addition to these associated diseases, Gonorrhea can easily evolve, and be resistant to antibiotics. In fact, the most common and economic drugs are not effective against it. According to the WHO, some specially resistant strains have even been detected.
Gonorrhea: diagnosis and treatment
Diagnosing gonorrhea requires a sample of the cervical exudate in women and of urethral discharge in the case of males; then the Gram staining method is used to visualize the bacteria.
If this test does not yield a clear diagnose, it should be cultured in specific media for Neisseria gonorrhoeae where only the gonorrhea will grow.
Adults with gonorrhea are prescribed antibiotics by injections and orally.
The partner or sexual partners of the infected person should also be treated even if they do not present symptoms.
Babies of mothers with gonorrhea must have their eyes treated in order to prevent infection and, if they develop it, they will require antibiotics.
Gonorrhea: prevention
Given the resistance of the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, prevention is even more important than in other STDs. And as we have indicated throughout several articles in the last months, to prevent this and any other sexual diseases the following measures are crucial:
- Promote a sexual education to raise awareness among young people.
- Inform the society of the symptoms and consequences of the contagion of common and aggressive sexual diseases such as gonorrhea.
- Promote the use of condoms as the most effective contraceptive means to prevent contagion.
- Raise awareness of the importance of periodic gynecological checkups in the early detection of these diseases.
We hope this article has been useful for you. You will find further information at the website of the Unidad de la Mujer. You can also contact us at the number (+34) 917 303 673
