Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is an infectious sexually transmitted disease. This disease involves the mucousmembranes of the urogenital tract. Gonorrhea is much more obvious in males because theydevelop an acute discharge of pus from the urethra. Scarce when it starts, it becomesthicker and heavier and causes frequent urination. When urination takes place, there willbe a burning sensation. If the prostate becomes infected, the passage of urine is partlyobstructed. In females the infection occurs in the urethra, the vagina, or the cervix.Although discharge and irritation of the vaginal mucous membranes may be severe. Nearlyfew or no early symptoms will appear. Gonorrhea is diagnosed by staining a smear of thedischarge to expose the bacteria. Treatment in the early stages is usually effective. If thedisease is untreated in the male, the early symptoms may subside, but the infection mayspread to the testicles causing sterility. In the untreated female the infection usuallyspreads from the cervix into the uterus and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatorydisease. Severe pain may occur, or the infection may stay behind with few or nosymptoms. While doing this, it will be gradually damaging the tubes and leaving thewoman sterile. In both sexes the gonococcus may enter the bloodstream, resulting inarthritis, heart inflammation, or other diseases. Gonorrhea in pregnant women may betransmitted to the infant during birth and may, if untreated, cause a serious eye infection.Penicillin is commonly used against gonorrhea, although over the years an increasingnumber of penicillin resistant strains have been found. Other effective antibiotics aretetracycline, spectinomycin, and the newer ones called cephalosporins. One antibioticcalled ceftriaxone can cure uncomplicated gonorrhea, including infections resistant topenicillin, with a single injection. Gonorrhea increased greatly in the U.S. almost reachingepidemic proportions in adolescents and young adults. In mos...