Sexually transmitted infections

Gonorrhea

Caused by a bacterium, gonorrhea is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in sexually active teens and young adults. A person contracts gonorrhea by having unprotected vaginal or anal sex with an infected partner.

Most people infected with gonorrhea have no symptoms. For those who do develop symptoms, these usually appear within two to nine days of having unprotected sexual contact with a person infected with gonorrhea.

In women, symptoms include:

• Thick, yellowish vaginal discharge
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding
• Burning/pain when urinating (peeing)
• Rectal discharge from anal sex
• Sore throat from oral sex

In men, symptoms include:

• Yellowish/green pus from penis
• Burning/pain when urinating (peeing)
• Rectal discharge from anal sex
• Sore throat from oral sex

If you suspect you may have gonorrhea, ask your doctor or healthcare professional for a test. A urine test is available in some clinics, but a gonorrhea test typically involves taking a swab. In men, a swab is taken from the penis. In women, a swab is taken from the cervix. A Pap test is not the same as a test for gonorrhea: a Pap test is designed to test for evidence of cervical cancer or pre-cancer; it does not test for sexually transmitted infections.

Gonorrhea is usually treated through the prescription of antibiotics taken by mouth. If you have been diagnosed with gonorrhea, be sure to tell your sexual partner(s) to ensure they can receive proper treatment. Avoid having sexual contact for seven days. If you are going to be re-tested, avoid having sexual contact until you know the results of your second test.

Left untreated, gonorrhea can lead to serious health problems including joint problems, heart problems, and sterility. If you are female, you should know that untreated gonorrhea can result in pelvic inflammatory disease (or PID). This painful lower abdominal infection can lead to infertility: a woman may never know she is infected with gonorrhea until she is tested or decides to have a baby and discovers she has difficulty trying to become pregnant. You should also know that if you are pregnant, you risk passing gonorrhea on to your baby during childbirth, causing blindness.