by Anonymouse

Created on: July 10, 2008   Last Updated: July 25, 2008

Though curable, gonorrhea is an extremely widespread sexually transmitted disease. It is caused by a bacterium called Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which thrives in warm, moist places like the urethra, rectum, reproductive tract, throat, and even the eyes. Intercourse is not the only way that gonorrhea can be spread; a woman may transmit the disease to her baby during a vaginal delivery. Since it can cause blindness, joint infection, and blood infection, pregnant women should seek treatment early on to reduce those risks.

Symptoms of gonorrhea often don't occur at all. The only obvious sign of oral gonorrhea is a sore throat. Rectal infection, however, may cause pain, itching, soreness, bleeding, or anal discharge. Penile infection may cause light-colored discharge from the penis and pain in the testicles. Vaginal infection may cause discharge and bleeding between menstrual cycles. Both men and women with gonorrhea may feel a burning sensation during urination.

Numerous women shrug off their mild symptoms and mistake the condition for something less serious. That doesn't stop internal damage, so it is important to consult a physician if symptoms occur, and to get checked at least once a year. It's not rare for gonorrhea to cause PID (pelvic inflammatory disorder/disease), a condition that can cause physical agony and infertility. The male gonorrhea induced equivalent is epididymis, which can cause sterility if left untreated.

This STD can spread throughout the body to joints and blood, where it wreaks the most havoc. This is the stage where lives are lost. To cure the disease before it reaches that point, a physician can prescribe antibiotics, though some forms of gonorrhea are becoming resistant to them. Though the condition can be cured, the internal damage it causes cannot be undone. Abstinence is the best way to ensure an STD free life. For the sexually active, it's important to be intimate with only one partner after he or she has tested negative. Using condoms also greatly lowers risk.

Certain treatments for gonorrhea have become outdated since resistance to them has skyrocketed recently. Cephalosporins have replaced the formerly acceptable prescriptions of fluoroquinolones like Cipro. Doxycycline is one medication that slows bacterial growth, which cures gonorrhea, though it must be avoided entirely by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Free clinics are great resources for those who don't know where to turn for advice or treatment. Their physicians will keep everything private, including phone calls, appointments, and results.

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