Gonorrhea Symptoms : Early STD Warning Signs

Gonorrhea Symptoms: A Complete Guide to STD Detection and Care

Gonorrhoea is an STD which is sometimes called 'the clap'. Any age group that engages in sexual activity might experience gonorrhoea and infect their partners. It may also affect their unborn baby during delivery. Understanding the gonorrhoea symptoms is crucial to avoid extreme scenarios.

Gonorrhoea is a quite common sexually transmitted disease (STD), which is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. In 2020, 82 million new cases of gonorrhoea occurred worldwide. Research has shown that most of the gonorrhoea cases occur in individuals within the age range of 15 to 49. Therefore, it is important to learn about the gonorrhoea symptoms for both males and females.

Signs and Symptoms of Gonorrhoea

After chlamydia, gonorrhoea is the second most prevalent bacterial STD. If you have gonorrhoea, you might not always experience any symptoms. However, you can still spread gonorrhoea even if you are an asymptomatic carrier.

Gonorrhoea Symptoms Male

Although men have a greater possibility of experiencing symptoms, they cannot notice any gonorrhoea symptoms until a few weeks following exposure. Here are the male symptoms of gonorrhoea:

• Yellow, white, or green drip from the penis
• Increased urination frequency
• Testicular pain or swollen testicles
• Pain and itchiness in the anus
• Rectal bleeding
• Pain or burning when peeing
• Discomfort with bowel movements

Gonorrhoea Symptoms in Females

Most females do not experience any gonorrhoea symptoms. If you are a female, you may experience symptoms a day or two after exposure or weeks later. Here are the common symptoms of gonorrhoea for females:

• Urgency to urinate more often
• Heavier periods and bleeding between periods
• Creamy or watery vaginal discharge
• Discomfort during vaginal intercourse
• Burning or discomfort when urinating
• Haemorrhage from the rectum
• Sharp pain in the lower abdomen
• Itchiness and pain in the anus

Irrespective of gender, anybody can develop gonorrhoea infections in their rectum or throat, especially due to oral sex. Compared to genital gonorrhoea, these infections are less frequent.

Causes of Gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea spreads through vaginal, anal, or oral sex intercourse. When the gonorrhoea-causing bacterium enters your body by sexual fluids like semen or vaginal fluid, usually during unprotected intercourse, you get infected. You may significantly reduce your risk of spreading or getting this STD by using a condom or other protection during sexual activity.

According to reports, transmission through kissing is considered extremely rare and not well-supported by current evidence. However, you and your partner do not need to ejaculate to spread the germs. Sharing sex toys that have not been cleaned or wrapped can potentially result in gonorrhoea.

Sexual contact with an infected individual might also expose you to gonorrhoea. You might also experience the symptoms if you have close genital-to-genital touch.

Complications of Gonorrhoea if Left Untreated

If left untreated, gonorrhoea can lead to serious complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women and epididymitis in men. In rare cases, it may cause disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI), affecting joints, skin, or other organs.

A disorder called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) may also result from this. PID can harm the reproductive organs and result in excruciating, persistent agony. One of the most dangerous gonorrhoea symptoms is fallopian tube blockage or scarring, which can make pregnancy more difficult. Additionally, gonorrhoea can spread to a newborn following delivery.

If left untreated, gonorrhoea in the penis can impact your fertility by urethral scarring or a painful abscess inside your penis. It can also cause epididymitis, which is the inflammation of the tubes that deliver semen close to your testicles.

Diagnosis of Gonorrhoea

After understanding the gonorrhoea symptoms and causes, it is crucial to know the diagnostic procedures. Diagnosis of gonorrhoea includes the following tests and procedures:

• Urine test
• Healthcare professionals may also swab your penis, vagina, or rectum to take a sample of fluid.

Although this might vary depending on your clinic or testing location, you should expect to receive findings in a few days. Test results from certain clinics can be available in a few hours. You need to refrain from having sexual intercourse until you obtain a negative test result if you think you might have gonorrhoea.

How Can Gonorrhoea Be Treated?

Home cures or over-the-counter medications cannot treat gonorrhoea. An intramuscular injection of the antibiotic ceftriaxone is the standard therapy for gonorrhoea. This injection is usually applied in the buttocks. A doctor could also recommend an oral drug, such as doxycycline, taken twice a day for seven days.

Since the bacteria that cause gonorrhoea have become more resistant to azithromycin, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) earlier recommendations for ceftriaxone with azithromycin were modified. It recommends a single dose of 500 milligrams of intramuscular ceftriaxone.

You should start feeling better in a few days after taking these antibiotics, but you will need to wait a full week after stopping your medicine before engaging in any sexual activity. You will need to get in touch with a clinic or medical facility for retesting if your gonorrhoea symptoms continue for longer than a few days following therapy.

After taking medications, a gonorrhoea infection clears up in seven to fourteen days. To prevent spreading the illness, you should refrain from having intercourse during the first seven days of therapy.

It is crucial to notify the medical staff if gonorrhoea develops during your pregnancy. The newborn may require antibiotics immediately after birth since the illness might spread to the infant. It is also one of the potential causes of conjunctivitis in infants. The gonorrhoea symptoms, like swollen eyelids, thick eye gunk, and red eyes, often manifest two to four days after birth.

Preventive Measures to Avoid Gonorrhoea

One of the major preventive measures to avoid gonorrhoea is to avoid sexual intercourse. Follow the preventive measures below to avoid gonorrhoea:

• Always use a condom during sexual intercourse.
• Avoid having sexual intercourse with someone who is infected.
• Avoid sexual intercourse with someone experiencing gonorrhoea symptoms.
• Stay clear of sexual activity if infection is possible.
• Restrict the number of sexual partners and be transparent about your sexual activity.
• Have both you and your partners tested for gonorrhoea.

Final Words

Gonorrhoea spreads through vaginal, oral, or anal sex intercourse. Gonorrhoea is an STD that can be cured or treated. Adopting barrier techniques for all sexual activity and being tested for STDs regularly can prevent the spread or acquisition of gonorrhoea. If you have experienced gonorrhoea symptoms, immediately seek medical advice or visit your nearby clinic.