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Gonorrhea is caused by bacteria called gonococci. Gonorrhea is transmitted almost exclusively by sexual contact. A mother who has gonorrhea can infect her child during the birth process.
Symptoms and signs
About half of all infected women have no symptoms. About 10 to 20 percent of infected men are symptom-free.
Gonorrhea can be acute or chronic.
Acute gonorrhea is very unpleasant but almost always leads to rapid initiation of treatment thus preventing further transmission of the disease and the occurrence of late complications.
Chronic gonorrhea often goes undetected.
Signs of infection in women are discharge and a mild burning sensation on passing urine. There can be painful inflammation of the mucous glands (Bartholin's glands).
Involvement of the organs of the small pelvis is a common complication. Inflammation of the uterine lining or the fallopian tubes can lead to infertility.
In men there is also discomfort on passing urine and discharge from the urethra which is initially mucous, later yellowish or creamy. . In chronic disease ascending infections can develop. There is often inflammation of the epididymides and prostate which can lead to infertility.
After anal sex inflammation the rectum may become infected, with symptoms such as pain on defecation and a mucopurulent coating on the stools.
Infection through oral sex can lead to gonorrhea of the oropharynx with symptoms of pharyngitis or tonsillitis.
The bacteria causing gonorrhea can also enter the bloodstream and spread the infection through the entire body. Disseminated gonorrhea produces symptoms such as fever, chills, arthritis and blood-filled blisters on the fingers and toes. In severe cases meningitis or endocarditis can develop.
Gonorrhea transmitted from mother to child can cause severe inflammation of the eyes which leads to blindness if it is left untreated.
Diagnosis
Gonococci can be detected microscopically in a smear taken from the urethra, the uterus, the throat or the anus.
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