Gonorrhea is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, whose main characteristic is the discharge similar to the pus that leaves the urethra. A person can be infected with gonorrhea through:
- Intimate contact without a condom with another infected person; From mother to child during pregnancy or childbirth; Very rarely, through the use of underwear or contaminated objects.
Thus, it is possible to be contaminated during sexual intercourse with the infected person, during vaginal, anal or oral contact and that is why it is important to use condoms in all these situations.
How to know if I have gonorrhea
Some people may not show symptoms in the first few days, although they can already infect others. Therefore, if you have had sexual intercourse without a condom in the last month be aware of the following signs and symptoms:
In women:
- Pain or burning when urinating; Urinary incontinence; Yellowish-white discharge, similar to pus; There may be inflammation of the Bartholin's glands; There may be sore throat and voice impairment (gonococcal pharyngitis, when there is an oral relationship); There may be obstruction of the anal canal (when there is an intimate anal relationship).
About 70% of women have no symptoms.
In man:
- Pain or burning when urinating; Low fever; Yellow discharge, similar to pus, coming from the urethra; There may be sore throat and voice impairment (gonococcal pharyngitis, when there is an oral intimate relationship); There may be obstruction of the anal canal (when there is intercourse) intimate anal).
These symptoms usually appear 10 days after contamination with gonococcus, but it is also possible that they appear 3 to 30 days after contamination. See more about the symptoms of this disease.
If you suspect that you may be infected, you should see a gynecologist or urologist and perform tests such as analysis of the secretion that identifies the disease.
How the treatment is done
Treatment for gonorrhea is done using antibiotics usually in a single dose, but the doctor may decide to take the antibiotic for 7, 10 or 14 days depending on the severity of the disease. During treatment it is important that the partner is also treated and that there are no relationships until the complete remission of the disease.
