Gonorrhea is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in North America. Gonorrhea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The infection can affect mucous linings in the vagina, cervix, penis, rectum, throat, and eyes. In rare cases, it can affect other parts of the body.
Over the past decade, the rate of gonorrhea cases in Canada has nearly tripled, with approximately 36,000 cases reported in 2019 alone. These rates are continuing to escalate, especially for men, and well over half of all cases reported were from people under the age of 30.
People having sex without the use of condoms are more likely to acquire this infection, as are people who have multiple sexual partners. Many people with gonorrhea have other sexually transmitted diseases, such as chlamydia, HIV, or syphilis.
Gonorrhea is almost always sexually transmitted and is most easily passed on during unprotected sex. Genital sex with an infected person will cause gonorrhea of the genitals. Likewise, anal sex with an infected person can transmit gonorrhea to the rectum and oral sex can cause gonorrhea of the throat. Gonorrheal eye infections are usually found in infants who have picked it up in the birth canal, but adults may get eye infections if they touch the infected area and then rub their eyes.
Gonorrhea is treated with antibiotics. A variety of treatments are available for gonorrhea. In uncomplicated cases, the usual treatment is a single dose of a medication such as ceftriaxone* injected into the muscle, or cefixime, a pill, plus a dose of oral azithromycin. People with gonorrhea often have chlamydia, and this treatment treats chlamydia as well. Ask your doctor how long you should wait before beginning sexual contact again after the treatment.
Any sexual partners who have had contact with an infected individual in the past 60 days should be referred to a doctor for evaluation. Regardless of whether or not the partners also test positive, or whether they are still waiting for results, they should receive antibiotic treatment. For any individuals that test positive, follow-up testing within either 3 to 7 days or 2 to 3 weeks (depending on the testing method used) should be performed to ensure the bacteria has been fully eliminated.
Fluoroquinolones, penicillins, or tetracyclines used to be effective therapies, but many of the strains today have developed resistance to these antibiotics. It is very important to take medications exactly as prescribed. It is strongly recommended that people follow-up with their doctor 6 months after completing treatment for gonorrhea, to screen for any recurrent infections.
Symptoms sometimes remain for a while after treatment. Men can suffer from post-gonococcal urethritis (inflammation of the urethra, the tube running down the centre of the penis). This condition is usually caused by chlamydia that didn’t respond to an earlier treatment. Treatment with different antibiotics will usually solve this problem.
You can prevent gonorrhea in the same way you prevent any sexually transmitted infection. Use protection and choose your partners carefully. If you think you might already have a sexually transmitted infection, you should avoid sex until you’ve talked to your doctor.
All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2026. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/condition/getcondition/Gonorrhea
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