Gonorrhea

Read everything you need to know about gonorrhea, a highly contagious sexually transmitted disease that affects mostly men.

Gonorrhea or the clap is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases, also known as tripper. It is mainly transmitted through sexual intercourse. In most cases it affects young, sexually active people. It is a bacterial infection caused by the gonococcus or Neisseria gonorrhoeae.  

The disease is highly contagious. In sexual intercourse, the bacteria are transmitted from the mucous membrane of an infected person’s genitals to the mucous membrane of a healthy person’s genitals. The bacterium gonococcus thrives in the warm and moist parts of the body, such as the vagina, cervix, urethra, anus and throat, while it cannot survive in the dry parts of the body. The bacteria attack the surface of the mucous membrane, whereby they cause an infection.  

The signs of infection in men

Symptoms occur within two to ten days after infection. The men infected with gonorrhea typically have an infection of the urethra (also the anus, if they had anal sexual intercourse), pus-like discharge in urine and pain when urinating. If an infection is left untreated, its acute form develops to a chronic one within approximately two weeks. The symptoms of a chronic infection and discharge become completely evident over time.

If gonorrhea isn't treated, it can progress to a more serious infection that damages the reproductive organs and causes infertility. If gonorrhea comes to your bloodstream, it can damage your joints, heart and skin, it may cause blindness, affect brain membranes, and, in the worst case, it can cause death.

The signs of infection in women

There are usually no typical symptoms of gonorrhea in women. The most frequent ones are pus-like discharge from the vagina, a painful feeling when passing urine, pain during the period, and contractions and pain in the lower abdomen. If an infection is left untreated, it can progress to the inner parts of the reproductive organs and cause infertility and ectopic pregnancies. An infected woman can transfer the disease to the baby during delivery (gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum). To prevent the infection in maternity hospitals, every newborn is protected with Crede’s eye drops.

A gonococcal infection is diagnosed by laboratory tests of the infected tissue. In women, a swab is taken from the cervix, while in men it is taken from the urethra. A gonococcal infection is treated with penicillin or other antibiotics. The partner also has to be treated, as this is the only way to avoid recurrent infection.

 
Gonorrhea is contracted by approximately 1% of people, of which 80% are men who are usually below the age of 25. Use condoms to protect yourself against gonorrhea!