To the surprise of most patients, gonorrhea is actually one of the most common sexually transmitted disease in the U.S. and is growing in rate of diagnosis annually. Once thought of as a sexually transmitted disease of the past, gonorrhea has become one of the largest health threats to sexually active individuals. Despite popular opinion, gonorrhea is not limited to the homosexual and bi-sexual communities but is an equal opportunity social disease.
Not all cases of gonorrhea will be accompanied by symptoms, or may have only mild symptoms that do not seem like a serious illness. Untreated gonorrhea can have serious consequences and patients who even just think they might have been exposed should get tested immediately. Symptoms are likely to include a discharge from the penis or vagina, usually quite thick and cloudy with occasional streaks of blood. Burning, itching, and painful urination are common, as is painful sexual intercourse. Men often discover a tingling sensation throughout the penis when developing gonorrhea and most women don’t realize their discharge is anything other than a yeast infection until after notification that a sexual partner has developed the disease.
Gonorrhea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which is spread through intimate contact, meaning that bodily fluids must be exchanged. Vaginal fluid or semen carries the bacterium. Outside of sexual contact, the only other method of transmission includes the passing of the bacterium from mother to child during birth.
The vast majority of diagnosed gonorrhea cases occur in young men and women under the age of 30. Sexuality does not play a role in contracting the disease. Risk factors for gonorrhea include unprotected sexual intercourse regardless of the gender of the partner.
Women 15 to 19 years of age have the highest rates of infection and men between the ages of 20 and 24 have the highest rates of infection.
Gonorrhea is diagnosed through a laboratory test. A physician may conduct a physical examination. Based on patient complaints, most physicians recognize the symptoms of gonorrhea and simply order a sample of the discharge to be analyzed by a laboratory.
Untreated gonorrhea can lead to serious complications, including infertility for both genders. Men may develop inflammation of the ducts near in the testicles where the sperm is stored, which can lead to infertility. Women are likely to develop pelvic inflammatory disease, which can also lead to infertility. Both genders are at risk for anorectal gonorrhea, which is gonorrhea of the rectum from experiencing anal sexual activity with an infected partner. Either gender may experience infections in other parts of the body, including the eyes, throat, tonsils, and widespread body infections.
Over the counter medications may alleviate some of the symptoms associated with gonorrhea but will not provide a cure. Gonorrhea is becoming increasingly drug resistant, and thus is treated with strong antibiotics. Patients who do not take their entire course of antibiotics are likely to experience a secondary gonorrhea infection that is more stubborn and difficult to treat.
Babies that are born with gonorrhea from the passage of the disease from mother to infant are treated immediately with antibiotics.
The only prevention for gonorrhea is protected sexual contact and testing for those who believe they may have experienced exposure to gonorrhea. The belief among young Americans that sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea is primarily a homosexual issue is contributing to the rapid spread of gonorrhea.
Gonorrhea videos
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Medication commonly used for these disease:
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Levaquin is often generically prescribed as levofloxacin and can be used to treat pneumonia, Chlamydia, gonorrhea, bronchitis, skin infections, urinary tract infections, and other bacterial infections. Levaquin is in a class of antibiotics known as fluoro more...
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Amoxicillin is the generic form of antibiotics which are also prescribed as Morisot, Amoxil, Biomox, Dispermox, Trimox, and Wymox. It is commonly used to treat bacterial infections in the body. Infections such as gonorrhea, skin infection, tooth infection more...
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The antibiotic Cipro can also be generically prescribed as ciprofloxacin, and is part of the group of medications known clinically as fluoroquinolones. Cipro is most often used to treat bacterial infections in the body, as antibiotics are ineffective at t more...
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Tetracycline is also prescribed as Brodspec, Emtet-500, Panmycin, Sumycin, and Tetracap. Tetracycline is an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections such as skin infections, urinary tract infections, tooth infections, gonorrhea, ear infections, and o more...
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Ampicillin is a form of generic penicillin which is sometimes prescribed as Omnipen, Totacillin, or Principen. Ampicillin should be avoided by patients who have had an allergic reaction to penicillin based antibiotics. Ampicillin is prescribed to f more...
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Doxycycline can also be prescribed as Adoxa, Doxy Lemmon, Doxy Caps, Monodox, Periostat, Oracea, Vera-tabs, Vibramycin, Vibramycin Calcium, Vibramycin Hyclate, Vibramycin Monohydrate, and Doryx. Doxycycline is a tetracycline antibiotic which is commonly u more...
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Floxin can be generically prescribed as ofloxacin and is part of the family of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones. Floxin is commonly used to fight bacterial infections in the body such as Chlamydia, bronchitis, pneumonia, gonorrhea, skin infections, a more...
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Zithromax, which is generically prescribed as azithromycin, is commonly used to treat bacterial infections in the body, such as skin infections, urinary tract infections, tooth infections, gonorrhea, and other bacterial infections. Zithromax is a macrolide more...
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Suprax is a cephalosporin antibiotic which fights bacterial infections in the body. Suprax is inappropriate for infections caused by other sources such as fungus or viruses. Suprax can be prescribed generically as cefixime. Suprax is commonly used to trea more...
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Vantin, which can be generically prescribed as cefpodoxime, is commonly used to treat bacterial infections in the body. Vantin is a member of the family of antibiotics known as cephalosporins. Vantin is ineffective on infections caused by fungi or viruses more...
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