Gonorrhea
Gopla Grove, Chinese Psycology Online, http://www.zgxl.org
What is Gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea is a curable sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a bacterium called Neisseria gonorrhoeae. These bacteria can infect the genital tract, the mouth, and the rectum. In women, the opening (cervix) to the womb (uterus) from the birth canal is the first place of infection. The disease however can spread into the womb and fallopian tubes, resulting in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID affects more than 1 million women in this country every year and can cause infertility in as many as 10 percent of infected women and tubal (ectopic) pregnancy.
In 1997, health care workers reported 324,901 cases of gonorrhea in the United States to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Institute of Medicine, however, estimates that 800,000 cases of gonorrhea occur annually in the United States. Health economists estimate that the annual cost of gonorrhea and its complications is close to $1.1 billion.
Gonorrhea is spread during sexual intercourse -- vaginal, oral, and anal. People who practice anal intercourse can get gonorrhea of the rectum. Even women who do not engage in anal intercourse can get gonorrhea of the rectum if the bacteria are spread from the vaginal area.
Infected women can pass gonorrhea to their newborn infants during delivery, causing eye infections in their babies. This complication is rare because newborn babies receive eye medicine to prevent infection. When the infection occurs in the genital tract, mouth, or rectum of a child, it is due most commonly to sexual abuse.
What Are the Symptoms of Gonorrhea?
The early symptoms of gonorrhea often are mild. Symptoms usually appear within two to 10 days after sexual contact with an infected partner. A small number of people may be infected for several months without showing symptoms.
When women have symptoms, the first ones include:
- bleeding associated with vaginal intercourse;
- a painful or burning sensation when urinating; and/or
- vaginal discharge that is yellow or bloody.
More advanced symptoms, which indicate development of PID, include cramps and pain, bleeding between menstrual periods, vomiting, or fever.
Men have symptoms more often than women. Symptoms include:
- pus from the penis and pain, or
- a burning sensation during urination that may be severe.
Symptoms of rectal infection include discharge, anal itching, and occasional painful bowel movements with fresh blood on the feces.
Gonorrhea(Chinese Version)