Gonorrhea Symptoms
Symptoms of Chlamydia in Women
The most common symptom in women includes:
- No Symptoms
Other symptoms of Chlamydia in women include:
- Painful urination
- Discharge, pain, or bleeding from the rectum
- Abnormal vaginal discharge
- Inflammation of the eye
- Pain during intercourse
- Bleeding between menstrual cycles
- Lower back pain
- Pelvic and lower stomach pain
- Fever
- Nausea
- Sore throat
If you have experienced any, or noticed the development, of the above Chlamydia symptoms, you might be starting to worry. The best thing to do is to stay calm and seek urgent medical attention. Chlamydia is one of the most easily treated STDs. However, if left untreated, Chlamydia can cause many serious complications.
Symptoms of Chlamydia in Men
The most common symptom in men includes:
- No Symptoms
Other symptoms of Chlamydia in men include
- Painful urination
- Abnormal discharge (thick, milky, watery, or yellow-white) from the penis
- Bleeding, pain, or discharge from the rectum
- Sore throat
- Inflammation of the eye
- Swelling and pain of the testicles
- Itchy or burning sensation around the tip of the penis
If you have experienced any, or noticed the development, of the above Chlamydia symptoms, you might be starting to worry. The best thing to do is to stay calm and seek urgent medical attention. Chlamydia is one of the most easily treated STDs. However, if left untreated, Chlamydia can cause many serious complications.
Preventing Gonorrhea
One way to prevent Gonorrhea is to become aware of how it is spread. Gonorrhea is transmitted through sexual activity (vaginal, oral, or anal) and is spread through sexual fluids such as semen, pre-ejaculate, and vaginal fluids. Gonorrhea can develop in multiple parts of the body and can even be transmitted without the penis fully entering the vagina and even if the man doesn’t ejaculate. Touching the infected area with your hand and then touching your partner’s body can easily spread the bacteria.
Another method of prevention includes the practice of safe sex. The use of dental dams and condoms, or abstinence, can lower the risk of exposure for you and your partner. Oftentimes carriers of Gonorrhea aren’t aware they are infected because they show no present symptoms. This is part of the reason the Center for Disease Control has estimated approximately 820,000 cases of Gonorrhea each year in the United States.
Another preventative measure involves regular testing. Since individuals can be infected without showing signs or symptoms, you may feel healthy and normal, but the infection could be effecting your body and you could be spreading it to your partner. Regular testing is one way to ensure you are free from infection or can get the treatment necessary for recovery. We recommend regular testing for you and your partner, or partners.
Testing for Gonorrhea
Though many individuals worry about getting tested for Gonorrhea, the process is quite simple and painless. More often than not, a urine sample is all that is required. Your doctor may recommend testing for Chlamydia at the same time you test for Gonorrhea since they are often contracted together. Simultaneous testing can be more effective in providing accurate results.
Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics before you receive your test results as a precautionary measure to protect your health. If your results come back negative, it is possible you have another type of infection, such as a UTI, that would require treatment.
Treatment for Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection that is easily treated with a course of antibiotics. Azithromycin is the usual choice of antibiotics prescribed by doctors. You may be prescribed a shot of Ceftriaxone along with your oral antibiotics if your doctor is concerned your strain of Gonorrhea may be resistant to the antibiotics. Both drugs are effective in stopping the infection but will not repair damage the infection has caused. We recommend regular STD testing to improve your chances of catching the infection before serious symptoms and complications arise.
Individuals who test positive for Gonorrhea should notify their sexual partners who may be affected by the infection so they can get tested as well. This includes past partners that might have been affected so they and their partners can be tested. It can be uncomfortable to discuss STDs with your partner(s), but they will be grateful to be aware so they can take necessary steps to ensure their health.
Partners should refrain from any sexual activity while treatment is in progress, a minimum of 7 to 10 days. You may feel healthy enough to resume sexual activity after a few days of antibiotics, but this doesn’t mean your body has fully eliminated the infectious bacteria. Relapse, in both you and your partner, can result from engaging in sexual activity before your body is free of the infection-causing bacteria.
Individuals who have had Gonorrhea once can contract it again. The antibiotics, and having had it once before, doesn’t free you from the possibility of contracting Gonorrhea again.
Overcoming Embarrassment
We recommend individuals get tested regularly for STDs to help ease the embarrassment. We know how awkward and uncomfortable it can be to talk to your doctor about your symptoms, which is why we provide our patients with a safe testing environment as well as confidentiality and privacy. Our doctors want what is best for our patients – a healthy lifestyle. Testing is the first major step in getting treated and reaching recovery.