Gonorrhea

The Type: Bacterial

How its Transmitted: Vaginal, anal or oral sex.

The Symptoms: Though some cases may be asymptomatic, when symptoms do appear, they are often mild and usually appear within 2-10 days after exposure. The symptoms include discharge from the penis, vagina, or rectum and burning or itching during urination.

The Treatment: Infection can be cured with antibiotics. However, it cannot undo the damage done prior to treatment.

The Possible Consequences for the Infected person: Untreated in women, the disease is a major cause of pelvic inflammatory disease. Ectopic pregnancy, infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can lead to ectopic pregnancy, infertility, and chronic pelvic pain. It can cause sterility in men. Untreated gonorrhea can infect the joints, heart valves and/or the brain.

The Possible Consequences for the Fetus and Newborn: Gonorrhea can cause blindness and systemic diseases such as meningitis and septic arthritis in infants infected during delivery. To prevent blindness, all newborns delivered in hospitals have their eyes treated with medication specific for gonorrhea.

How to Prevent: Abstaining from vaginal, anal and oral sex with an infected person is the only 100% effective means of prevention. Latex condoms can reduce but not eliminate the risk of contracting the disease during sex.

Sources: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Public Health Service, Rockville, MD 20857; The Upjohn Company; Contraceptive Technology by R. Hatcher et al, Chapter 4, 16th Revised Ed., 1994; Medical Institute for Sexual Health, P. O. Box 4919, Austin, TX, 78765; MedicineNet.com; Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Other risks Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Hepatitis B, Herpes, HIV/AIDS, Human Papalloma Virus, Syphilis and Trichomoniasis