Untreated Gonorrhea Could Lead To Infertility In Both Women And Men. Be Aware.
Untreated Gonorrhea Could Lead To Infertility In Both Women And Men. Be Aware.
What is Gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI), and it can pass on during any kind of sexual contact.
Gonorrhea most often affects the urethra, rectum or throat. In females, gonorrhea can also infect the cervix. When the disease diagnose earlier, it can usually be treated effectively. But if a person does not receive treatment, gonorrhea can result in long-term complications.
In 2017, there were 555,608 diagnoses of gonorrhea in the United States.
Gonorrhea is a notifiable disease, which means that a doctor must report all diagnoses to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. This information enables health authorities to plan treatment and prevention strategies.
Gonorrhea is usually easy to treat, but delaying treatment can result in serious, and sometimes permanent, complications. For example, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) occurs in females when gonorrhea affects the uterus or fallopian tubes. It can lead to infertility.
Possible complications in males with gonorrhea include epididymitis, which is inflammation of the tube that carries sperm. This, too, can result in infertility.
What causes Gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The gonorrhea bacteria are most often passed from one person to another during sexual contact, including oral, anal or vaginal intercourse.
Risk factors of Gonorrhea.
Sexually active women younger than 25 and men who have sex with men are at increased risk of getting gonorrhea.
Other factors that can increase your risk include:
Having a new sex partner
Having a sex partner who has other partners
Having more than one sex partner
Having had gonorrhea or another sexually transmitted infection.
What are the symptoms of Gonorrhea?
Symptoms usually occur within 2 to 14 days after exposure. However, some people who acquire gonorrhea never develop noticeable symptoms.
It is important to remember that a person with gonorrhea who doesn’t have symptoms, also called an asymptomatic carrier, can still spread the infection. A person is more likely to transmit gonorrhea to other partners when they don’t have noticeable symptoms.
Symptoms in men and those with a penis.
A person with a penis may not develop noticeable symptoms for several weeks. Some men may never develop symptoms.
Typically, symptoms begin to show a week after transmission. The first noticeable symptom in men is often a burning or painful sensation during urination.
As it progresses, other symptoms may include:
greater frequency or urgency of urination
a pus-like discharge (or drip) from the penis (white, yellow, beige, or greenish)
swelling or redness at the opening of the penis
swelling or pain in the testicles
a persistent sore throat
In rare instances, gonorrhea can continue to cause damage to the body, specifically the urethra and testicles. The condition will stay in the body for a few weeks after the symptoms have been treated.
Pain may also spread to the rectum.
Symptoms in women and those with a vagina.
Many people with a vagina don’t develop any overt symptoms of gonorrhea. When they do develop symptoms, they tend to be mild or similar to other diagnoses, making them more difficult to identify.
Gonorrhea symptoms can appear much like common vaginal yeast or bacterial infections.
Symptoms include:
discharge from the vagina (watery, creamy, or slightly green)
pain or burning sensation while urinating
urge to urinate more frequently
heavier periods or spotting
sore throat
pain during sexual intercourse
sharp pain in the lower abdomen
fever.
Tests(Diagnosis) for gonorrhea.
Healthcare professionals can diagnose gonorrhea in several ways. They can take a sample of fluid from the symptomatic area (penis, vagina, rectum, or throat) with a swab and place it on a glass slide.
If your doctor suspects a joint infection or infection of the blood, they’ll obtain the sample by drawing blood or inserting a needle into the symptomatic joint to withdraw fluid.
They will then add a stain to the sample and examine it under a microscope. If cells react to the stain, gonorrhea may be diagnosed. This method is relatively quick and easy, but it doesn’t provide absolute certainty. This test may also be completed by a lab technician.
A second method involves taking the same type of sample and placing it on a special dish. This will be incubated under ideal growth conditions for several days. A colony of gonorrhea bacteria will grow if gonorrhea is present.
A preliminary result may be ready within 24 hours. A final result will take up to 3 days.
Treatment of Gonorrhea.
Anyone with gonorrhea needs treatment to stop the infection from progressing. The treatment typically involves antibiotics.
It cannot repair any problems that the infection has already caused, so it is important to receive treatment as soon as possible.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend a single dose of 250 milligrams of intramuscular ceftriaxone (Rocephin) and 1 gram of oral azithromycin (Zithromax). These are different types of antibiotics.
The CDC urge people to take all the medication that a doctor prescribes and to avoid sharing it with anyone else.
However, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacteria that cause gonorrhea, have developed resistance to nearly all the antibiotics that doctors have traditionally used to treat it.
This resistance is making gonorrhea increasingly difficult to treat. If a person does not notice any improvement in their symptoms after several days, they should return to their healthcare provider. They may need further testing to determine whether the treatment is working.
A person should also attend any follow-up appointments and avoid having sex until a healthcare provider says that it is safe to do so.
If gonorrhea occurs during pregnancy, it is essential to let the healthcare team know. The infection can pass on to the baby during delivery, so the newborn will usually need antibiotics right away.
Some newborns develop conjunctivitis, and gonorrhea is one possible cause. The symptoms usually appear 2–4 days after birth and include red eyes, thick pus in the eyes, and swollen eyelids.
If any of these symptoms arise, seek medical attention immediately. They can also result from a more serious condition, such as meningitis or bacteremia.
What are the complications of Gonorrhea?
Untreated gonorrhea could lead to infertility in both men and women. These complications stated as:
Infertility in women.
Gonorrhea can spread into the uterus and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID can result in scarring of the tubes, greater risk of pregnancy complications and infertility. PID requires immediate treatment.
Infertility in men.
Gonorrhea can cause a small, coiled tube in the rear portion of the testicles where the sperm ducts are located (epididymis) to become inflamed (epididymitis). Untreated epididymitis can lead to infertility.
Infection that spreads to the joints and other areas of your body.
The bacterium that causes gonorrhea can spread through the bloodstream and infect other parts of your body, including your joints. Fever, rash, skin sores, joint pain, swelling and stiffness are possible results.
Increased risk of HIV/AIDS. Having gonorrhea makes you more susceptible to infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that leads to AIDS. People who have both gonorrhea and HIV are able to pass both diseases more readily to their partners.
Complications in babies.
Babies who contract gonorrhea from their mothers during birth can develop blindness, sores on the scalp and infections.
Prevention of gonorrhea.
The safest way to prevent gonorrhea or other STIs is through abstinence. If you do engage in sexual activities, always use a condom or other barrier method.
It’s important to be open with your sexual partners, get regular testing, and find out if they’ve been tested.
If your partner is showing any symptoms, avoid any sexual contact. Ask them to seek medical attention to rule out any possible conditions that could be passed on.
You’re at a higher risk for acquiring gonorrhea if you’ve already had it or any other STIs. You’re also at a higher risk if you have multiple sexual partners or a new partner.
What to do if you have gonorrhea?
If you think you may have contracted gonorrhea, you should avoid any sexual activity. You should also contact your doctor immediately.
During your healthcare visit, be prepared to:
detail your symptoms
discuss your sexual history
provide the contact information for previous sexual partners so that public health officials can contact them anonymously on your behalf
If you’re in contact with your sexual partner or partners, let them know they should be tested immediately.
If you are placed on antibiotics, it is important to take the full course of medication to ensure that you’re completely treated. Cutting your course of antibiotics short can make the bacteria more likely to develop resistance to the antibiotic.
You also need to follow up with your doctor 1 to 2 weeks later to make sure that everything has cleared.
If the results come back negative and your sexual partner is also clear of any infection, it is possible to resume sexual activity.
Sources:
www.healthline.com
www.medicalnewstoday.com
www.mayoclinic.org
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