How To Identify Gonorrhea Symptoms?

Some people are not sure what gonorrhea is even if they have heard something about it. Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacteria passed on during sexual intercourse. It can infect the throat, penis, urethra, vagina, anus or cervix. It is commonly known as ‘the drip’ or ‘the clap’.

If left untreated, gonorrhea is a serious health risk which yearly affects around 800,000 men and women in the United States.

Symptoms

Most of the time gonorrhea does not show any symptoms, more so with women. It has been reported that out of five women, four will not have symptoms while out of 10 men only one will not have any symptoms.

When symptoms occur, it usually starts between days 1 to 14 days after exposure.

Some women show symptoms and it would include:

  • Yellow-green or yellow colored vaginal discharges
  • Pain in the abdominal area
  • Vomiting
  • Bleeding between periods
  • Frequent urination
  • Fever
  • Tenderness of swelling of the vulva
  • Irregularities in the menstrual cycle
  • Burning sensation during urination
  • Painful sexual intercourse

IN men, the symptoms will be:

  • Frequent urination
  • Pus-like discharges from the penis
  • Burning pain during urination

Gonorrhea could also cause itching in the anus which happens to both men and women. It can also cause oral infection which causes soreness in the throat making swallowing difficult and painful bowel movements accompanied by discharges.

In men, the symptoms could be mild and show mostly in the morning. This is why people could always be unaware that they are already infected.

Health complications

Complications in pregnancy

Untreated gonorrhea can cause serious complications in pregnancy as it may lead to stillbirth or premature birth.

During birth, the infection can be passed to the fetus by the infected mother. The disease can cause eye, blood, and joint infections. Drops of antibiotics are normally used in the eyes of newborns to prevent the occurrence of serious eye infections that are caused by gonorrhea. The risk of transmitting the infection is greatly reduced when testing and treatment is done to a pregnant woman who has gonorrhea.

Infertility

 

PID or pelvic inflammatory disease is a serious health complication caused by untreated gonorrhea which can lead to infertility in women as it affects the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.

The untreated infection can also lead to infertility in men. The infection can quickly spread from the urethra to the testicles which result in epididymitis, a condition that can give extreme pain and swelling in the scrotum accompanied by fever.

Arthritis

Untreated gonorrhea has been found to develop a condition known as DGI or disseminated gonococcal infection which can cause skin sores and arthritis. Women have a higher risk of acquiring this condition than men, with teen girls having the highest rate of infection.

The symptoms will include:

  • Fever
  • Pain in the joints
  • Lesions or skin rashes

The condition is easily treatable if diagnosed early, but could damage joints permanently if left untreated.

How To Prevent Gonorrhea?

Gonorrhea is one of the most common STD or sexually transmitted disease that affects both men and women. Infections can be caused in the throat, genitals, and rectum. Among people aged 15-24, gonorrhea can be a very common infection.

During childbirth, a mother can pass on the infection to her newborn. Gonorrhea can also be acquired through oral, vaginal or anal sex with an infected person.

Prevention

Abstinence is the best prevention against all sexually transmitted diseases.

If this is not possible, the following things can be done to lower the risk of getting infected with gonorrhea:

  • Use a latex condom for all sexual activities
  • Have a monogamous relationship with a non-infected partner

Risk group for gonorrhea

Unprotected oral, anal or vaginal sex will always put you at the highest risk for acquiring gonorrhea.

An open and honest talk with a medical practitioner to ask about preventive measures and STD tests is one of the ways to prevent acquiring the infection especially if you are sexually active. If you are a man and is bisexual, gay, or engage in sex with other men, you should undergo annual STD tests. If you are a sexually active older woman with multiple partners or a new partner or you are 25 years old or younger that engages in numerous sexual activities, STD tests should be done annually to prevent being infected with gonorrhea.

If you are pregnant and also happen to be infected with gonorrhea, your baby will become infected as well upon birth. This will create serious health complications to the baby. Treating gonorrhea before giving birth will lessen the health complications to the baby.

Signs and symptoms

Most men do not show symptoms, but should there be, it will have the following:

  • Swollen or painful testicles
  • A burning sensation during urination
  • Green, white or yellow discharges from the penis

A lot of women do not display symptoms and if they do, it could often be mistaken for a vaginal or bladder infection. This poses a serious health threat which could possibly lead to widespread infection especially when a woman has multiple partners. The symptoms, if ever it occurs may include:

  • Pain felt in bowel movements
  • Vaginal discharges
  • Bleeding
  • Itching in the anal area
  • Soreness

A doctor needs to be consulted when you have these symptoms or if your partner is showing symptoms such as bleeding between menstrual periods, an odd sore, pain felt during urination and foul-smelling discharges.

Treatment and cure

The right treatment can cure gonorrhea. The key to eliminating the infection from your body is to strictly adhere to the prescribed medications which should never be shared with anybody. The medication will do away with the infection, but it will not be able to cure the permanent damage that has been done by the disease.

Some strains of gonorrhea are becoming harder to treat as they have developed resistance to antibiotics. Should your symptoms continue after a few days of treatment, you have to go back to your health care provider and submit to further tests and consultation.

Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment of Gonorrhea

Most often called in the slang language as the ‘drip’ or the ‘clap’, sexual intercourse with an infected person is the mode of transmittal for gonorrhea. Gonorrhea-infected body fluids may also be transmitted by a mother to a child during childbirth. Gonorrhea can infect both men and women. People with multiple sex partners are the ones that usually contract the infection as it is highly contagious.

How is gonorrhea caused?

The bacteria known as Neisseria gonorrhoeae can multiply and grow quickly in the mucous membranes of the body which is the chief cause of gonorrhea. The moist and warm parts of the reproductive organs which include the fallopian tubes, the cervix, and the womb in women are the places that the bacteria like to stay and grow. In both men and women, the urethra is also the common organ that the bacteria inhabit. The anus, mouth, and throat can also be areas that can make the bacteria thrive.

Is gonorrhea a common infection?

Gonorrhea is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases that usually infect about 700,000 Americans a year with teenagers topping the list of reported infected people.

What are the signs and symptoms of gonorrhea?

Gonorrhea can be tricky as a lot of people do not show signs and symptoms which are the main reasons for its widespread contagion. If ever symptoms appear, it usually happens from two to ten days after infection though there are cases where it took 30 days which could include:

In women

  • If oral sex was involved, the glands in the throat will be swollen.
  • White, green or yellow discharges from the vagina.
  • Due to oral sex, there will a burning sensation in the throat.
  • Pain in the pelvic or lower abdominal areas.
  • Vulvitis which is swelling of the vulva
  • A burning pain during urination
  • Spotting after sexual intercourse
  • Itchy and red eyes
  • Bleeding between menstruation

The symptoms in some women are very mild that it is hardly noticeable.

The gonorrhea discharges that occur in most women are often mistakenly thought as yeast infections which they often try to self-medicate by using over-the-counter drugs for yeast infections. It is recommended to consult a doctor when discharges occur as it is a sign for a lot of other health problems.

In men

  • Due to oral sex, glands in the throat will be swollen
  • White, yellow or green discharges from the penis
  • Swollen or painful testicles
  • Burning sensation during urination
  • Due to oral sex there will be a burning sensation in the throat

These symptoms usually occur in men after a period between two to 14 days after exposure.

Is gonorrhea treatable and if it is what would be the treatment?

Gonorrhea is treatable and can be cured by either an injectable or oral antibiotic. Your sexual partner/s should also be treated as well so reinfection and spread of the infection will be stopped.

It is also advised that the number of antibiotics prescribed should be followed even when you are beginning to feel better. It is also recommended never to self-medicate as it might even cause more health complications.

Early Symptoms of HIV

After two to three weeks that a person has been exposed to HIV/AIDS, skin eruptions will appear in some of them. Not every infected individual go through with this and for some, the skin rashes will appear at a later period. But for those who have it after a few weeks, the rashes will go away even when nothing has been done for it, yet will in some later time reappear again. HIV and AIDS may be lumped together, but they are not identical. AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is the last stage of human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. Acquiring an HIV virus would not necessarily progress to AIDS if testing and treatment is done at the early onset of the disease. Every individual body has different ways of fighting the virus and beating it early gives the best prognosis.

A possible sign could be experiencing bumps that are dark and small, slightly raised on the skin of the neck, chest, face or back. The color would range from reddish brown to a deep red to very light skin toned people. However, without testing, this should not be a conclusion that you have HIV when there are over a hundred varieties of skin rashes.

The rash are usually accompanied by a mouth thrush which is brought about by an attack of the Candida albicans yeast, muscle pains and aches, headache, diarrhea, and fever.

The rash usually disappears after a week or two, but the HIV virus stays on. The antiviral quality of elderberry syrup that has low sugar has helped some people overcome the rash.

Corticosteroids are the medicines usually prescribed by doctors when they do not know the cause of the rash as it stops allergy reactions. It may stop or help the inflammation but not the underlying infection of HIV.

Since there are hundreds of rash varieties, the only way to find out if you have the HIV infection is to submit to a test. It has been known that some people have a tendency to break out in rashes from stress or worry. Ringworm is a type of rash that forms into a circle with some lines radiating outwards. Bacterial infections, fungus, and yeast could also cause rashes to break out on the skin. Shingles or herpes zoster is another viral infection that can cause rashes.

It would be presumptuous to assume that you will have an AIDS rash if you have been exposed to an individual with HIV. You will suspect that you have it when you’ve had sexual contact with somebody that you know nothing of. If you are experiencing a rash, the best remedy is to have it diagnosed by a medical professional. It could be very stressful on your part to live in fear should you suspect an HIV infection. There are available effective treatments available for the HIV virus that has helped other infected people to live productive lives.

The time to get an HIV/AIDS test is now while it is still on its early phase.

Important Information Regarding Chlamydia

Chlamydia is seen as a very common sexually transmitted disease (STD) that may or may not show signs and symptoms once an individual is infected. Men and women will feel the same symptoms such as pain during urination, and discharges from the vagina or penis if ever it is manifested.

Chlamydia signs and symptoms will not be manifested in almost 25 to 30% of women and men infected with the disease. Yet, should symptoms be felt, there will be a difference between men and women.

The symptoms in men are:

  • Pain and discharges from the rectal area
  • Stinging pain during urination
  • Pain and tenderness in the testicles
  • Penile discharges

The symptoms in women are:

  • Pain with discharges from the rectum
  • Vaginal discharges
  • Burning pain during urination
  • Painful sensation during sexual intercourse

Chlamydia trachomatis is the bacteria that cause the Chlamydia infection. The greatest risk groups to acquire this very common sexually transmitted infection are the ones who are active sexually with different sexual partners.

It is quite rare for infants to become infected when an infected mother gives a vaginal birth. But, if infection occurs, the infant may be affected by pneumonia and eye infection which is Chlamydia-related.

If symptoms are present it will be the basis for the initial diagnosis. The diagnosis will be fully formed when the necessary discharges are cultured and analyzed.

To fight off the infection, the mode of treatment usually uses antibiotics such as erythromycin, tetracycline, and azithromycin. After four weeks, a follow-up evaluation is necessary to find out if the infection has been eradicated from the body. To contain the spread of the infection, the infected person is requested to inform about the condition to his or her sexual partners. This is also one way of making the other partners submit to an STD testing.

If the treatment is done right away, good results are expected which also does away with any complications that will last a lifetime. On the other hand, delayed or improper treatment will cause additional complications. Chlamydia, if untreated in a woman will cause infection in the fallopian tubes or uterus leading to PID or Pelvic Inflammatory Disease with complications of possible ectopic pregnancy or infertility.

The Chlamydia infection can be prevented if people who are sexually active practice safe sex. Properly using protective barriers such as a condom or having a monogamous relationship where both partners are not infected will prevent this infection. It is also recommended that a yearly Chlamydia infection screening be a requirement for sexually active women. The reason for this is not only for health reasons but also one way of preventing and containing the spread of the infection. Statistics has shown that people infected with Chlamydia seem to be increasing yearly even with the sexual health education programs implemented by the different health organizations.

For this purpose, people are encouraged to take an active role in their individual health by learning everything about sexually transmitted diseases.

Chlamydia Symptoms and Treatment

The bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis causes Chlamydia infection which is spread through sexual intercourse.

Men and women can be infected with Chlamydia without showing any symptoms. This leads to being infected or transmitting the infection to a sexual partner without being aware of it. This also causes Chlamydia to remain untreated for a long time which could lead to serious health complications.

You have a bigger chance of becoming infected with Chlamydia if you:

  • Use alcohol or drugs before having sexual intercourse
  • Unsafe sex practices such as not using a female or male condom during sex
  • Multiple sexual partners

Symptoms

 

The symptoms that are produced in men may have the same as that of an infection from gonorrhea and may include:

  • Pain or discharges from the rectal area
  • Pain or burning sensation when urinating
  • Pain, swelling or tenderness in the testicles
  • Discharges from the rectum or penis

Symptoms in women include:

  • Bleeding after sexual intercourse or discharges from the vagina
  • Burning sensation when urinating
  • Symptoms of inflammation of the liver identical to hepatitis, PID or pelvic inflammatory disease or inflammation of the fallopian tubes or salpingitis
  • Pain during sexual intercourse
  • Discharges or pain from the rectum

Tests

When you consult a medical professional for possible Chlamydia infection, he or she will give you a PCR test or get a specimen.

  • Other than Chlamydia, the doctor will also check for other types of STDs such as syphilis or gonorrhea.
  • In men, the specimen will be collected from the rectum or penis while a swab from the pelvic area will be taken from the women.
  • You will be advised to return after 1 to 2 days to know the results.

Women who are asymptomatic should submit to a Chlamydia test if they:

  • Have more than one sexual partner or a new partner
  • Are sexually active and are younger than or 25 years old which will be advised to have the test performed every year.

Urine samples are also the basis of most STD tests.

When you are getting an STD test, the doctor may also have you tested for herpes, syphilis, trichomoniasis, HIV, and hepatitis.

Treatment

 

The usual mode of treatment for Chlamydia is antibiotics.

A sexual history for the past 6 months will have to be provided by the infected person so sexual partners can also be treated to avoid passing the infection to other uninfected partners. A person can be re-infected with Chlamydia many times.

After 4 weeks, the infected individual has to go back to the doctor for a check-up to see if he or she has been cured of the infection.

Health forecast

 

When medicines are taken as directed, you and your partner will benefit greatly from a treatment using antibiotics.

Chlamydia can cause infertility when it reaches the uterus and cause scarring. This can be prevented by:

  • Practicing safe sex by wearing a condom in every sexual activity
  • Finishing the antibiotic treatment prescribed by the doctor
  • Get an STD test when you manifest symptoms

Discuss your options openly with your medical professional

Chlamydia Infection: The Silent STD

One of the most common bacterial STD or sexually transmitted diseases reported is Chlamydia. It affects more women than men. The bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis causes Chlamydia which can infect the rectum and urethra in men and women. In women, Chlamydia could infect the cervix. Sometimes other parts of the body can also be infected such as the eyes and throat. It is asymptomatic which means that it shows no symptoms, particularly in women. This causes serious health problems lasting a lifetime when left untreated. This also causes the spread of the infection as infected individuals unwittingly infect other uninfected sexual partner/s.

Signs and symptoms

Between the period of a week to 3 weeks after infection, Chlamydia symptoms may or may not appear which has given it the name of being a ‘silent’ infection. But if ever symptoms appear it may include:

In women

  • Irregular menstrual periods
  • The inflamed cervix brings about abnormal discharges from the vagina
  • Bleeding after sexual intercourse or pain during sex
  • Frequent urination with a burning sensation
  • Pain in the lower abdominal area

 

In men

  • Even when they are asymptomatic, men notice more symptoms than women
  • Stained underwear brought about by watery and cloudy or white discharges from the penis
  • Swelling and pain in the testicles
  • Pain or burning during urination

 

A Chlamydia infection in the anus will rarely show symptoms in both men and women.

Transmission

The modes of Chlamydia transmission include:

  • Infection from the genitals to fingers to eyes may be one way of transferring the infection although this happens very rarely.
  • Unprotected sex with an infected person through oral, anal, and vaginal contact.
  • A vaginal birth from an infected mother to an uninfected baby.

Testing places

There are numerous testing places that can help you if you feel that you have been infected with Chlamydia.

  • Some countries have chemists and pharmacies that could offer self-help testing kits which allow an infected person to get his or her sample to be analyzed by the pharmacy.
  • Visit your own medical professional who can refer you to a testing center if their facilities do not carry testing procedures.
  • Sexual health clinics that are purposely set up to help people infected with STD.

Treatment

Once the infection has been diagnosed, Chlamydia is easy to cure. A regimen of antibiotics is usually prescribed and taking them correctly will be effective in healing the infection.

If you happen to be allergic to the antibiotics prescribed or if you are pregnant, the doctor has to be informed right away so another mode of treatment can be done. Starting the course of prescribed antibiotics has to be maintained as interruptions may have to make you start from the beginning.

The doctor will be asking about any sexual contact that you had for the last 6 months. This is to give a chance to inform your sexual partner/s about the infection and the need for them to be tested and treated.

A check-up has to be done after the treatments have been completed to ensure that infection has been cured. Sexual relations can only be resumed once a negative result has been seen after the check-up.

Chlamydia Symptoms in Men and Women

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease that is particularly common among American women and men under 25 years of age which is transmitted through sexual intercourse. The body parts that it can infect are the throat, penis, eye, vagina, anus, urethra, and cervix. It is more common than syphilis and gonorrhea which affects around three million of the American population each year.

Chlamydia is an asymptomatic STD that infected people are unaware of when they have it – particularly women. 5 to 10 days after exposure, these are the symptoms, should they happen:

Women

A strong-smelling yellow colored discharge from the cervix

Pain in the abdominal area

Vaginal bleeding after sexual intercourse

Abnormal discharges from the vagina

Swelling around the anus or inside the vagina

Bleeding between periods

Frequency of urination

Slight fever

Burning sensation or pain when urinating

Painful sexual intercourse

Men

Swelling around the anal area

Burning or pain during urination

Tender or swollen testicles

Milky or pus or watery discharges from the penis

One of the common symptoms of Chlamydia in both men and women is a bleeding and itchy anus which could lead to diarrhea and discharges. Discharges accompanied by itching and redness are the symptoms if Chlamydia has infected the eyes. Soreness of the throat will be experienced if Chlamydia has infected the throat.

The symptoms in men are milder and could only happen during the morning. This is the main factor for the widespread infection of Chlamydia. A consultation and check-up need to be arranged as early as possible with a healthcare professional should your partner or you experience the symptoms that have been listed. It is even more important to have treatment if you happen to be pregnant.

Health complications

Because of the asymptomatic nature of Chlamydia it can take a long time before an infected person gets tested and treated. This has led to serious health complications especially for women who may acquire pelvic inflammatory disease or PID which could lead to infertility.

Epididymitis is the serious health condition that men will acquire if Chlamydia is left untreated. It could cause infertility and sometimes lead to reactive arthritis which can develop disabling pain and swelling in the joints.

Chlamydia tests

The first symptom that a health care professional can see which could lead to a diagnosis of Chlamydia would be the discharges coming from the cervix. Other cell specimens that can positively identify Chlamydia would be taken from the anus, penis, and urethra. A urine test can also be another basis for diagnosing Chlamydia.

Treatment

 

Once diagnosed, it is fairly easy to treat Chlamydia. There are single dose antibiotics that can clear up Chlamydia, but there are also treatment programs that will last for seven days. Your health care professional will know what will work best for your case.

Before resuming any sexual activity, both you and your partner needs to get an STD test. This is to avoid getting infected or re-infected. You will also be advised to return in 3 to 4 months for Chlamydia re-testing.

What are the chances of getting an STD : stats and figures

STDs, better known as sexually transmitted diseases, are one of the world’s major health problems. STDs such as HIV-AIDS have no known cure and acquiring one can put a stigma on the personal and social life of a person. A cure for certain kinds of STD can be possibly achieved as long as it is diagnosed early, with strict adherence to the recommended treatment. However, sadly, people would rather die than become known to have STD. Statistics since 1999 show almost 340 million adults have become impaired with STDs other than HIV-AIDS. The questions that beg to be asked are: Could everyone be equally affected by STDs? Who are more susceptible to acquiring STDs?

Geographical Location

Studies have shown that geographical location or lifestyle are just a few variables that can make a population more exposed to a certain kind of STD. A lot of other factors are wrapped in myth and this could become dangerous to the general health of a certain population. Looking at the STDs geographical spread on which a 1999 data is based, shows variables such as a region’s incidence of curable STDs and its assessed occurrence such as the 156 million adult populations in North America with its recorded 14 million cases. For 203 million population in Western Europe, a total of 17 million recorded cases. North Africa and the Middle East have a total population of 165 million, with 10 million cases. A recorded 22 million cases are recorded from the total population of 205 million for Central Europe and Eastern Europe. From the 269 million populations  of Sub-Saharan Africa, a total of 69 million cases are recorded. The South and Southeast Asia, at a population of 955 million with a reported 151 million cases show the most number of STDs. From the 815 million populations of Pacific and East Asia, 18 million cases are recorded. Based on these data, we now have an idea of the width and scope of STDs worldwide.

Unprotected Sex

Some people are more susceptible to STDs and this is determined by several factors, foremost of which is unsafe or unprotected sex. The chance of becoming infected with an STD is greatly reduced when a condom is used as barrier protection during sex.

Serial Monogamy

The highest risk group belongs to those having multiple sex partners. ‘Serial monogamy’, referring to people having successive sex partners are still susceptible to STDs.

Age And Occupation

Early sexual onset for people under age 25 is also another high risk and alcohol plays a part as well since inebriation could cloud a person’s judgment to sexual choice. Prostitutes or those who sell sex for drugs or money record the highest risk because of multiple partners and unsafe sex practices.

So after looking at all the data, it seems some people are more susceptible than others to getting an STD.

Types Of STD : What You Really Need To Know

There are different types, a total of 25 at last count, of STD and they all have one thing in common: they are easily transferred sexually. Other from sexual transference, the diseases can also enter the body through open wounds, body fluids sharing and exchanging, and shared needles.

Six of these STDs are believed to be the most prevalent which include genital warts, AIDS, gonorrhea, syphilis, Chlamydia, and herpes. Of the six mentioned, Chlamydia tops the list for being the most widespread. The spread of Chlamydia increases by the year and last count was detected cases of 3 million. Antibiotics can clear up Chlamydia if treated right away but if left too late may be one of the chief causes of infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease.

Early onset of STD can cause symptoms such as genital sores, pain, and itchiness. In men, STDs can be manifested by signs such as penile discharges, pain while urinating, and testicular swelling and pain.

Most of the STDs are curable, but the scars they leave behind will be for a lifetime. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease can be a lifelong problem brought by STDs such as syphilis, gonorrhea, and Chlamydia. Cervical cancer or Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) can be the effect of genital warts.

The sad truth is that there are incurable STDs, which can only be managed and treated, and they include Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), Hepatitis B, and HIV. Early detection is always an advantage and it pays to take an STD test if you suspect or show signs and symptoms of having STD. Consulting a physician should be the first step who can recommend an STD test that could either be done at the clinic or laboratory. It goes without saying that all STD tests may not be reliable and accurate. That may be so, but it still stands a greater chance of giving an accurate result especially when there was an activity of casual sex or multiple partner sexual activity.

Should the test show positive, the immediate step would be the means and ways to get a cure, and if ever there is none for some STDs such as HIV and AIDS, the proper management should be discussed with the doctor. HIV for one has no known cure, but several cases of people infected with it have lived long and meaningful lives due to the right management of the disease.

It cannot be said enough that preventive measures are worth their weight in gold than a cure. A cure or right management may be able to delay the life-threatening effects of the virus, but the lifetime disability will be there. PID or pelvic inflammatory disease could not only bring pain but also one of the causes of infertility. Acquiring another disease like HPV as an effect from genital warts could be debilitating as well as depressing.

If abstinence could not be the reason to avoid STDs, the nest best thing would be is to use protective barriers every time there is sexual activity.