Gonorrhea is a microbial infection caused by bacteria known as Neisseria gonorrhoeae that is transmitted through sexual contact and can also be transmitted from mother to child during childbirth.

Usually, a person carrying the disease does not show any symptoms, which makes it easy to transmit the infection to their sexual partners. Therefore, if you are a sexually active person, you should have a regular check-up to ensure that you are free of the disease or treat it early before it causes serious complications if left untreated for a long time.

It is recommended to practice safe sex and take all precautions to prevent infection with microbial infections.

In some cases, Symptoms of Gonorrhea in Females can appear through the following:

Abnormal white or yellow vaginal discharge, bleeding between periods, pain during intercourse or urination, and lower abdominal pain, and other symptoms that we will detail later

What is Gonorrhea and Its Risk for Women?

Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which is transmitted through sexual contact and from mother to child at birth.

The infection can get worse over time if left untreated and can affect the urethra, cervix, rectum, throat, eyes, and other parts of the body.

Gonorrhea can cause serious complications for women, such as:

• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID): The infection spreads to the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries, causing infertility in women, ectopic pregnancy, or chronic pelvic pain.
• The infection spreads to other parts of the body, such as the joints, blood, liver, or brain, or damages heart valves.
• The microbes are passed to newborns and can cause blindness.
• Increases the risk of HIV infection.

Common Symptoms of Gonorrhea in Females

Symptoms of Gonorrhea in Females include:

• Abnormal vaginal discharge that is white, yellow, or green.
• Bleeding between periods.
• Pain when urinating.
• Pain during intercourse.
• Lower abdominal pain.
• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

If you have oral or anal sex, you may experience the following symptoms:

• Itchy, sore, rough throat or difficulty swallowing. ( Walker & Sweet , 2011)
• Itchy, dischargey, or painful bowel movements.

Treatment and Prevention of Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea infection is treated with a single injection of the antibiotic ceftriaxone, in case of allergy to this antibiotic, other appropriate types may be prescribed.

Other oral antibiotics may be prescribed after injection of ceftriaxone, if chlamydia is also suspected.

It is very important to diagnose the disease early before it causes serious complications that are difficult to treat. (Miller , 2006)

Read Also: The 4 Stages of HIV Infection

Disease prevention guidelines

Safe sex is the best way to protect against gonorrhea, by limiting yourself to one partner and doing regular checkups and premarital checkups to ensure that the disease is not present.

You can also rely on the following preventive measures:

• Use a condom during sex.
• Communicate with sexual partners and talk openly about the risks of sexually transmitted diseases.
• Do not have sex with someone if you know that he/she has an active infection.
• Do not have sex with a person if he/she is seen symptoms of gonorrhea.
• Know that there is no perfect protection to control gonorrhea if you are sexually active.

How many times should you test the gonorrhea?

Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends making an annual test to detect gonorrhea for those who are less than 25 years old.

Risk factors include:

• the age.
• Sexual activity.

Notes:

• People with a long -term relationship with one sexual partner do not need to take the test frequently.
• If the disease is treated quickly, therapists can resume their normal vitality within two weeks of the end of the treatment.

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References

Walker, C. K., & Sweet , R. L. (2011). PubMed. Retrieved from Gonorrhea infection in women: prevalence, effects, screening, and management: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3150204/

Miller , K. E. (2006). PubMed. Retrieved from Diagnosis and treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16734055/