Gonorrhoea

Overview

Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted bacterial disease that affects the rectum, urethra, mouth, throat, female reproductive tract, and eyes. In babies, gonorrhoea mostly affects the eyes. Since the symptoms are not always noticeable, sexually active people need to get screened for this disease periodically. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment can help in avoiding the complications of this condition.

What is Gonorrhoea?

Often referred to as the “clap” or “drip”, gonorrhoea develops when the bacterium N. gonorrhoea enters the body of a healthy individual during sexual intercourse. Infected people can transfer the disease to their sexual partners or even to their children during birth. The disease spreads through sexual fluids semen or vaginal fluid, or even when sharing sex toys with an infected person. Most of the time people are not aware of the occurrence of gonorrhoea due to the lack of prominent symptoms. Hence, sexually active people must go for protected sex and get screened regularly to avoid complications as well as transmission of the bacteria to their partners.

Symptoms of Gonorrhoea

Most of the time, gonorrhoea is not associated with prominent symptoms in the case of females. However, if they do appear, they differ based on the reproductive organ that they are affecting, that is, the vagina or penis.

Some of the symptoms of this disease that are common in men and women include soreness, itchiness, scratchiness in the throat and pain, itching, and discharge when pooping. Additionally, one can notice eye pain, pus-like discharge, sensitivity to lights, and red swollen and extremely painful joints (known as septic arthritis).

Women suffering from gonorrhoea may experience unusual white or yellow discharge, bleeding between periods, pain during sexual intercourse, pain or burning sensation when peeing, and pain in the pelvis or lower abdomen region. Men, on the other hand, may experience testicular pain and swollen testicles, white, green, or yellow discharge from the penis, and pain or severe burning sensation when peeing.

Causes of Gonorrhoea

The bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae is responsible for the development of gonorrhoea. This bacterium is passed on from one person to another in the event of sexual contact such as anal, oral, and vaginal intercourse. Men who have sex with men and sexually active women younger than 25 are at risk of developing this disease. Other risk factors for gonorrhoea include having new sexual partners, having multiple sexual partners, having sex with a person who has multiple partners, and having previously been infected with gonorrhoea.

Diagnosis of Gonorrhoea

There are various tests that your healthcare provider may prescribe to confirm the development of gonorrhoea. These tests include:

Urine Test: The pathologist will collect a sample of your urine to identify the presence of this bacterium in your urethra.

Fluid Sample Test: Doctors often prescribe the testing of fluid samples from the penis to confirm the presence of the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Blood Test: In some rare cases doctors often prescribe blood culturing and testing to determine the presence of the causal organism.

Pelvic Exam: Here, a sample of the fluid from the pelvic region is taken to test for gonorrhoea.

Swab Test: Pathologists swab the throat or rectum of a patient to collect fluid for conducting the necessary tests.

Treatment for Gonorrhoea

Once the diagnostic tests confirm the occurrence of Gonorrhoea, doctors suggest various gonorrhoea treatments and medications as antibiotics. Mostly, the patient is given a ceftriaxone shot using an injection. However, doctors can also prescribe cefixime, which is taken orally along with azithromycin, if the patient is unable to consume ceftriaxone for some reason.

Even, doctors prescribe medications like doxycycline, to avoid the development of other infections like chlamydia. It is recommended to avoid sexual contact for some days to avoid the transmission of the causal organism to a healthy individual. After three months of the treatment, the patient must get retested to ensure that the disease has not redeveloped.

Preventive Measures for Gonorrhoea

There are various measures that people can undertake to prevent getting infected with gonorrhoea. These include:

• Having Protected Sex: Make sure to use a condom when having any type of sexual intercourse such as oral sex, anal sex, or vaginal sex.
• Limiting Sex Partners: Limit your sexual partners to one and ensure that your partner also believes in a monogamous relationship.
• Regular Gonorrhoea Screening: Annual screening for gonorrhoea for sexually active women below 25, helps in preventing the spreading of this disease.
• Getting Your Partner Tested: Before having sex with a new partner, make sure to get tested to avoid the spread of this infection.
• Choosing Sex Partners Carefully: If you know your partner to practices polygamy or have had numerous sexual partners previously, try to avoid intercourse with them.

Myths and Facts Related to Gonorrhoea

Listed below are some of the myths and facts associated with gonorrhoea:

Myth 1: People Can Get Gonorrhoea Upon Using Public Toilets
Fact: The causal organism of gonorrhoea, Neisseria gonorrhoeae cannot survive for long outside of the human body. Hence, it is highly unlikely that the bacterium will enter the human body upon using public toilets and restrooms.

Myth 2: Gonorrhoea Cannot Be Spread Upon Having Oral Sex
Fact: Although gonorrhoea is mostly spread through vaginal sex, the possibility of transmission of this condition through oral sex cannot be completely ruled out. Thus, both partners should get tested for the disease before establishing any type of physical contact. Also, people can use condoms even for oral sex for maximum protection.

Myth 3: It is Easy to Identify the Development of Gonorrhoea
Fact: The development of gonorrhoea is not always accompanied by symptoms in both men and women. So, detecting the occurrence of this infection can be challenging. Hence, it is recommended that both partners should get screened at regular intervals to ensure early detection and prompt treatment of this condition.

Myth 4: Gonorrhoea Can be Treated at Home
Fact: Gonorrhoea is primarily caused due to bacterial infection. Hence, to completely cure the disease, it is a must to take antibiotics. Also, there is no scientific evidence for home remedies to treat this infection and hence one should not rely on any social media hacks.

Myth 5: Gonorrhoea Can Spread by Sharing Drinks
Fact: The causal organism for gonorrhoea cannot be transmitted upon sharing drinks or utensils. Primarily, it is spread upon having unprotected vaginal, oral, or anal sex. However, people should avoid sharing drinks as it can lead to the spread of some other diseases if not gonorrhoea.