Symptoms
In men, gonorrhea manifests mainly as inflammation of the urethra (urethritis) with pain, discomfort during urination, and purulent discharge. Rarely, the epididymis may also be involved, resulting in testicular pain and swelling. The infection may be complicated by involvement of other urogenital structures. In women, the pathogen usually triggers inflammation of the cervix (cervicitis) and urethra (urethritis) with discomfort during urination and discharge. Other possible symptoms include pain, cramps, pain during sexual intercourse, and bleeding between periods. Often, the infection remains asymptomatic. Ascending disease is called adnexitis, or in English as, and circumscribes involvement of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovary. Complications include infertility and ectopic pregnancy. In addition to the genital organs, gonococci can also affect other organs. Infection of the eye results in bacterial conjunctivitis (neonatal) and, in the worst cases, can lead to blindness. Oral or anal sexual intercourse can lead to cervical or anal/rectal inflammation, which is often asymptomatic. Furthermore, various other organs can become infected, including the joints, skin, liver, heart valves, and meninges.
Cause and transmission
Gonorrhea is caused by the gram-negative bullet bacterium, which is transmitted during sexual intercourse. Newborns can be infected by their mothers at birth and develop neonatal conjunctivitis. The incubation period is a few days. Risk factors include young age, unprotected sex, and frequently changing sexual partners.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is made under medical care based on patient history, clinical symptoms, and laboratory methods. Other diseases of the genital tract, such as vaginal fungus, trichomoniasis, genital chlamydial infection, and genital herpes, may cause similar symptoms.
Prevention
Condoms are used to prevent STDs.
Drug treatment
For drug treatment, cephalosporins such as ceftriaxone (Rocephin, generics), cefixime (Cephoral), and cefuroxime (Zinat) are predominantly used today. Sexual partners should always be treated as well. Increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics (e.g., macrolides, penicillins, quinolones) is a problem. Note: Spectinomycin (Trobicin) is no longer commercially available in many countries.
