adminDr Zuze Health Matters
Lately, there seems to be an increase in the number of sexually transmitted infections.
Gonorrhoea, also known as clap or drip, is one of the more common ones. While it can be treated with antibiotics, the condition is becoming resistant to some common medications.
Gonorrhoea is actually caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a bacteria that can grow and multiply easily in the mucus membranes of the body.
Gonorrhoea bacteria can grow in the warm, moist areas of the reproductive tract, including the cervix(opening of the womb), uterus (womb) and fallopian tubes (egg canals) in women, and in the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside the body) in women and men.
The bacteria can also grow in the mouth, throat and anus.
Not everyone infected with gonorrhoea has symptoms, so knowing when to seek treatment can be tricky.
When symptoms do occur, they often appear from two to ten days after exposure, but can take up to 30 days.
Symptoms of gonorrhoea in women include:
Greenish yellow or whitish discharge from the vagina
Lower abdominal or pelvic pain
Burning when urinating
Conjunctivitis (red, itchy eyes)
Bleeding between periods
Spotting after intercourse
Swelling of the vulva
Burning in the throat (due to oral sex)
Swollen glands in the throat (due to oral sex)
In some women, symptoms are so mild that they go unnoticed.
Many women with gonorrhoea discharge think they have a yeast infection (thrush) and self-treat with medications purchased over-the-counter. Because vaginal discharge can be a sign of a number of different problems, it is best to always seek the advice of a doctor to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment.
Symptoms in men include:
Greenish yellow or whitish discharge from the penis
Burning when urinating
Burning in the throat (due to oral sex)
Painful or swollen testicles
Swollen glands in the throat (due to oral sex)
In men, symptoms usually appear five to seven days after infection.
To diagnose gonorrhoea, your doctor will use a swab to take a sample of fluid from the urethra in men or from the cervix in women.
The specimen will then be sent to a laboratory to be analysed. You also may be given a throat or anal swab to see if the infection is in your throat or anus. There are other tests which check a urine sample for the presence of the bacteria.
To cure gonorrhoea, your doctor will usually recommend an oral and an injectable antibiotic. Your partners should also be treated at the same time to prevent reinfection and further spread of the disease.
It is important to take all of your antibiotics even if you feel better. Also, never take someone else’s medication to treat your illness. By doing so, you may make the infection more difficult to treat. In addition:
Tell anyone you have had sex with recently that you are infected. This is important because gonorrhoea may have no symptoms. Women, especially, may not have symptoms and may not seek testing or treatment unless alerted by their sexual partners.
Don’t have sex until your doctor says it is OK to do so.
Always use condoms when having sex.
In women, if left untreated, the infection can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which may damage the fallopian tubes (the tubes connecting the ovaries to the uterus) or even lead to infertility.
Untreated gonorrhoea infection could increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy (when the fertilised egg implants and develops outside the uterus), a very dangerous condition.
In men, gonorrhoea can cause epididymo-orchitis, a painful condition of the testicles that can sometimes lead to infertility if left untreated. Without prompt treatment, gonorrhoea can also affect the prostate and can lead to scarring inside the urethra, making urination difficult.
Gonorrhoea can spread to the blood or joints. This condition can be life-threatening. Also, people with gonorrhoea can more easily contract HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. People with HIV infection and gonorrhoea are more likely than people with HIV infection alone to transmit HIV to someone else.
Gonorrhoea in a pregnant woman can cause premature delivery or spontaneous abortion. The infected mother may give the infection to her infant as the baby passes through the birth canal during delivery.
This can cause blindness, joint infection, or a life-threatening blood infection in the baby. Treatment of gonorrhoea as soon as it is detected in pregnant women will lessen the risk of these complications.
Pregnant women should consult a doctor for appropriate medications.
To reduce your risk of infection:
Use condoms correctly every time you have sex.
Limit your number of sexual partners, and do not go back and forth between partners.
Practise sexual abstinence, or limit sexual contact to one uninfected partner.
If you think you are infected, avoid sexual contact and seek medical advice.
Online Reporter