Gonorrhea symptoms can appear up to 10 days after contact with the bacteria responsible for the disease, however, in most cases in women, gonorrhea is asymptomatic, being identified only at the time of routine gynecological exams.
Gonorrhea is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae that can be transmitted from person to person through unprotected sex, and is therefore considered a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI). Gonorrhea usually affects the urogenital system and, if not identified or treated correctly, can lead to complications, such as infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), for example.
Gonorrhea is, in most cases, asymptomatic, but there may be the development of signs and symptoms in both women and men, and the person should go to the doctor if any changes that may be indicative of gonorrhea are observed:
Gonorrhea in woman
Although most women do not experience symptoms when they are infected with gonorrhea, the following signs may appear:
- Pain or burning when urinating; Urinary incontinence; Yellowish-white discharge, similar to pus; Inflammation of the Bartholin's glands, which are on the sides of the vagina and are responsible for the woman's lubrication; Sore throat and impaired voice, when there is an intimate relationship inflammation of the anus, when there is an intimate anal relationship.
When left untreated, this disease can cause complications such as sterility, ectopic pregnancy and chronic pelvic pain. Therefore, it is important that if gonorrhea is suspected, the woman goes to the gynecologist to have tests done and, thus, treatment begins, which must be done with antibiotics. Understand how gonorrhea treatment should be done.
Gonorrhea in Newborns
When the pregnant woman has the disease and is not treated during pregnancy, the baby can become infected during delivery, resulting in so-called gonococcal conjunctivitis. Thus, babies begin to show symptoms of pain and swelling in the eyes, purulent discharge and difficulty opening the eyes, which can lead to blindness when not treated properly.
Gonorrhea in man
In men, symptoms usually start between 2 and 10 days after unprotected intimate contact, and may appear:
- Pain or burning when urinating; Frequent desire to urinate; Low fever; Yellow discharge, similar to pus, coming out of the penis; Sore throat and voice impairment, when there is an oral intimate relationship; Inflammation of the anus, when there is an intimate anal relationship.
When the proper treatment is not done, complications arise such as urinary incontinence and a feeling of heaviness in the penis area. See how to identify gonorrhea in men.
