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Gonorrhea
Basic facts:
- Gonorrhea is an STI transmitted
during anal, oral, or vaginal sex.
- Many men and women who
have this infection have no symptoms, but they can still pass the infection
to others.
Symptoms:
- In men:
- Urethral discharge
- Swollen and/or painful
testicles
- In women:
- Unusual vaginal discharge
- Lower abdominal pain (pain
below the belly button; pelvic pain)
- Abnormal and/or heavy vaginal
bleeding
- Vaginal bleeding after
intercourse
- In men or women:
- Burning or pain during
urination
Complications: If left untreated…
- In women, gonorrhea can
spread to the uterus (womb) and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory
disease (PID).
- In pregnant women, gonorrhea
can cause early labor and delivery, and low birth weight, and can be
passed to the baby, causing serious eye infections.
- In men, gonorrhea can cause
pain and swelling in the testicles, leading to infertility.
- Gonorrhea can get into
the bloodstream, leading to an infection throughout the body, often
causing pain and swelling in the joints.
Prevention of transmission to others and
repeat infections:
- An infected client should
inform all sexual partners he or she has had in the last month about
the infection (if possible) and encourage them to come to the clinic
for more information and treatment—even if a partner does not have
any symptoms.
- An infected client should
avoid sex (1) until treatment is completed (for seven days if one-dose
therapy is used) to make sure he or she does not pass the infection
to others, and (2) until after any partner completes treatment (or for
seven days if one-dose therapy is used) so he or she does not get infected
again. If abstinence is not possible, the client should use a male or
female condom during anal, oral, or vaginal sex.
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