Gonorrhea in Men and Women - Signs and Symptoms

Gonorrhea - How to know when you have gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases that is contracted by the exchange of bodily fluids like semen, blood and saliva. Also known as ‘clap’, it is caused by the Neisseria gonorrhea bacteria which can also infect the throat, eyes besides genital organs like the cervix, anus and urethra. According to an estimate provided by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is the second most commonly reported notifiable disease in the country and around 700,000 new cases occur every year. Even so, only around half the new cases are reported to the CDC which is unfortunate considering that the disease may lead to complications if left untreated. So if you find the following symptoms, then get yourself tested for gonorrhea.

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Gonorrhea in women

Symptoms of gonorrhea usually appear from two to ten days after exposure to infection but in case of women the window period may be as long as three weeks. However in many cases, gonorrhea may go undetected since according to an estimate as much as 30-40 percent of women infected by the disease may not show any noticeable symptoms. For those who do display symptoms, it may be one or several of the following:

• Some women may experience itching or burning of the vagina along with thick yellowish or green discharge.
• Even if there is no discharge, some gonorrheal infections may lead to irritation and infection of the vaginal area. In fact, children who are victims of incest or sexual abuse may display this symptom.
• Yet another common symptom of a gonorrheal infection is a need to urinate oftener than before or discomfort while passing urine. In severe cases, the discomfort may extend to pain or burning sensation while urinating.
• Women suffering from gonorrhea may also experience pain while intercourse and may even blood after having sex.
• Bleeding from vagina in between menstrual periods may be also related to gonorrhea. This may happen because of the inflammation and infection of the cervix.
• In prolonged cases of gonorrhea the infection may spread to the cervix and then to other pelvic organs like the uterus or the Fallopian tubes. This condition is marked by constant and deep pelvic pain or lower backache. In such cases a woman may develop Pelvic Inflammatory Disease or PID which in turn is associated with a host of dangers like ectopic pregnancy, tubal infertility and may even become life-threatening. In fact of all women who have a gonorrheal infection in their cervix, almost 15 percent go on to develop PID.

Gonorrhea in men

Among men, symptoms of gonorrhea may not be visible in around twenty percent of the cases which means that one in five infected men may be asymptomatic .When present, the symptoms may also vary in intensity but usually takes one of several form of the following:

• Just like women, men suffering from gonorrhea too are likely to experience a more frequent need to urinate. The discomfort in passing urine may be accompanied by pain or a terrible burning sensation. In severe cases, there may also be blood present in the urine. All these symptoms are likely to be result of an infected urethra caused by the gonorrheal infection.
• Almost half of the men who suffer from gonorrheal infections complain of thick, pus-like discharge from the penis. The head of the penis is sometimes red in appearance.
• Gonorrhea infection among men may be accompanied by swollen glands of the groin since the lymph nodes of the body is trying to fight the infection.
• Painful or swollen testicles is yet another symptom of a gonorrheal infection since the condition may have led to the inflammation or infection of a duct in the testicles. This may lead to a condition known as epididymitis which in turn holds the risk of developing male infertility.
• Gonorrhea among men may also lead to inflammation or infection of the prostate.

For men and women who engage in anal intercourse, a gonorrheal infection may lead to pain in the rectal area and discharge from the rectum. Other signs include itching in the anal area, painful bowel movements and bloody stools.

In case of oral sex with an infected partner, a person may contract an oral form of gonorrhea. In this case the person will have sore throat or other signs of throat infection like pus-like matter on the tonsils or the back of the throat along with other symptoms of gonococcal infection. In fact throat infections originating from gonorrhea but unaccompanied by other signs of the disease occur in less than 5 percent of the people infected.

Pregnant women suffering from gonorrhea can transfer the infection to their babies in case of vaginal delivery. In such a situation the baby may develop irritation of the mucous membrane in the eyes which if left untreated can cause a gonococcal eye infection and even lead to blindness.

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People suffering from gonorrhea are also at greater risk of contracting other sexually transmitted diseases like Chlamydia and even incurable ones like AIDS.

In rare cases, both men and women suffering from gonorrhea may develop complications leading to arthritis, endocarditis and even meningitis. This happens when the bacteria spreads into the bloodstream and then goes on to infect the joints, heart valves and even the brain.

The early symptoms of gonorrhea are quite mild and may be confused with a normal bladder or vaginal infection. This is one major reason why it is so readily transmitted. However if left untreated for a long time, it may lead to several complications, some of which can be even potentially life threatening. Gonorrhea can be easily treated by a wide range of antibiotics. So if you have any of the above major symptoms, you must seek medical help as soon as possible. This is not only for your well being but also crucial for preventing further spread of the disease.