Medical experts have defined gonorrhea
as a bacterial infection transmitted during sexual activity. This
disease, they noted, is caused by the bacteria called Neisseria
gonorrhoeae.
According to health reports, any type of
sex can spread gonorrhoea. It can be contracted through the mouth,
vagina, penis, or anus. It is, however, not transmitted from toilet
seats.
The bacteria grow in warm, moist areas
of the body. This can include the tube that carries urine out of the
body (urethra). In women, the bacteria may be found in the reproductive
tract which includes the fallopian tubes, uterus, and cervix.
Gonorrhoea can be passed even if the
penis or tongue does not go all the way into the vagina or anus. If the
vagina, cervix, anus, penis or mouth come in contact with infected
secretions or fluids; then transmission is possible.
Some medical experts say that a woman
who has not had anal sex can get gonorrhea in the anus or rectum if
bacteria are spread from the vaginal area, such as when wiping with
toilet paper. Also, eye infections in adults may result when discharge
carries the disease into the eye during sex or hand-to-eye contact.
Medical reports on gonorrhea say the
disease does not always show any symptoms. But in men, gonorrhea can
cause pain when urinating including discharge from the penis. If
untreated, it can cause problems with the prostate and testicles.
In women, the early symptoms of
gonorrhoea often are mild. Though it can cause bleeding between periods,
pain when urinating, and increased discharge from the vagina. If
untreated, it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease which causes
problems with pregnancy and infertility.
A consultant urologist, Dr. Gabriel Ogah, opined that gonorrhea infections in the mouth and throat are usually without symptoms.
Ogah noted that in such a situation,
symptoms may include soreness and redness in the mouth or throat. A
culture test is used to determine if gonorrhea is causing these
symptoms.
He said, “If gonorrhea infects the eye,
men and women might experience conjunctivitis (inflammation of the
eyelid lining). Symptoms of conjunctivitis include redness, itching, and
discharge from the eye. The bacterium that causes gonorrhea requires
very specific conditions for growth and reproduction.”
The doctor added that the bacteria
cannot live outside the body for more than a few seconds or minutes, nor
can it live on the skin of the hands, arms, or legs.
Ogah added, “It survives only on moist
surfaces within the body and it is found most commonly in the vagina,
and, more commonly, the cervix. The disease can even exist in the back
of the throat (from oral-genital contact) and in the rectum.”
On its severity, he said the infection can also be passed from a pregnant woman to her baby.
“If you’re pregnant and likely to have
gonorrhoea, it is important to get tested and treated before your baby
is born. Without treatment, gonorrhoea can cause permanent blindness in a
newborn baby,” he stated.
Commenting further on the symptoms of
the disease, Ogah said typical symptoms of gonorrhoea include a thick
green or yellow discharge from the vagina or penis, pain when urinating
and (in women) bleeding between periods.
Another consultant urologist, Dr.
Ademola Popoola, listed redness and swelling of the genitals, burning or
itching of the vaginal area as other symptoms of the disease.
He said, “If untreated, gonorrhoea can
lead to a severe pelvic infection with inflammation of the fallopian
tubes and ovaries. Symptoms usually appear two to five days after
infection. However, it may take up to a month for symptoms to appear in
men.”
Some people do not have any of the symptoms and may not know that they have contracted the disease.
Popoola said, “This increases the risk
of complications and the chances of passing the infection on to another
person. If the infection spreads to the bloodstream, symptoms include,
fever, rash and arthritis-like symptoms.”
On how gonorrhea can be diagnosed, an
Obstetrician, Dr. Kingsley Ekwuazi, said it can be easily diagnosed by
testing a sample of discharge picked up using a swab.
He added that testing a sample of urine can also be used to diagnose the condition in men.
“If you have gonorrhea, you should ask
to be tested for other sexually transmitted infections, including
chlamydia, syphilis, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus. If you are a
woman aged 21 or older, you should be sure you have had a recent Pap
smear,” Ekwuazi stated.
Meanwhile, Popoola said yearly
gonorrhoea testing is often recommended for all sexually active women
younger than 25 years, as well as older women with risk factors such as
new or multiple sex partners, or a sex partner who has a sexually
transmitted infection.
On his part, Ogah said sometimes the
tests do not show bacteria because of sampling errors especially if the
sampled area does not contain bacteria even when the woman has an
infection.
But Popoola noted that newer tests to
diagnose gonorrhoea involve the use of DNA probes or amplification
techniques to identify the genetic material of the bacteria. However,
these tests are more expensive than cultures but typically yield more
rapid results.
Ogah, commenting on the treatment procedure, said gonorrhoea is usually treated with a single antibiotic injection and tablet.
He stated, “Some strains of gonorrhea
have been found to be resistant to certain drugs (known as antimicrobial
resistance), so the recommended treatment for most cases involves two
antibiotics. One delivered as an injection and the other as an oral
medication.”
He further said it’s usually recommended
that one attends a follow-up appointment a week or two after treatment
in order to conduct another test to see if one is free from the
infection.
According to him, untreated gonorrhea
infections in men may lead to prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate
gland), scarring of the urethra (which can cause a narrowing or closing
of the urethra), infertility and epididymitis (inflammation of the
epididymis, the elongated, sperm-carrying, cord-like structure along the
posterior border of the testes).
“In women, untreated gonorrhea
infections may lead to pelvic inflammatory disease. PID can develop from
several days to several months after infection with gonorrhea. Left
untreated, PID can cause infertility. Untreated gonorrhoea may also lead
to chronic menstrual difficulties, postpartum endometritis
(inflammation of the lining of the uterus after childbirth),
miscarriage, cystitis (inflammation of the urinary bladder) and
mucopurulent cervicitis (characterised by a yellow discharge from the
cervix.),” Ogah said.
A general practitioner, Dr. Rotimi
Akande, advised that sexual partners must be tested and treated to
prevent passing the infection back and forth.
“You and your partner must finish all of
the antibiotics. Use condoms until you both have finished taking your
antibiotics. Gonorrhea is one of the easier STDs to prevent because the
bacterium that causes the infection can survive only under certain
conditions. The use of condoms protects against gonorrhea infection.
Since the organism can live in the throat, condoms should be used during
oral-genital contact as well.”
Popoola noted that all sexual contacts
with persons with gonorrhoea should be tested. This helps prevent
further spread of the infection.
In his explanation on the disease,
Akande said gonorrhoea and other STDs can be successfully prevented by
using appropriate contraception and taking other precautions.
“It is advisable for sexual partners to
use condoms every time they want to have sex. Also, use a condom to
cover the penis, or a latex or plastic square (dam) to cover the female
genitals if you desire oral sex. Do not share sex toys, washing them and
covering them with a new condom before anyone else uses them,” he
advised.
Furthermore, Akande noted that avoiding
sexual contact is the only sure way to prevent gonorrhea, adding “If you
and your partner do not have sex with any other persons, this can
greatly reduce your chance also. It’s better to prevent gonorrhea than
to treat it, and the only way to completely prevent the infection is to
abstain from all types of sexual intercourse.”
EmoticonEmoticon