STD Awareness Month: Gonorrhea (aka “The Clap”)

In honor of STD Awareness Month, sponsored by the American Social Health Association (ASHA) and the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD), your favorite women’s health blog is going to talk about some of the most common sexually transmitted diseases and infections over the last few days of April.

What Is Gonorrhea?

Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection that can affect the reproductive tract, anus, mouth, throat, or eyes. Untreated, it can have serious and permanent effects, including life-threatening complications. Gonorrhea can spread to the blood and joints, and can make people more susceptible to contracting and transmitting HIV and AIDS. Gonorrhea can also lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

How Can I Get Gonorrhea?

Sexual contact is the most commmon way to get gonorrhea, and you can contract it during vaginal and anal sex and while performing or receiving oral sex. Using a condom or dental dam helps, but is not a guarantee of prevention. Babies can also get gonorrhea during childbirth if the mother is infected. This can cause eye infections leading to blindness.

How Do I Know if I Have Gonorrhea?

Most women who have gonorrhea are asymptomatic, meaning that they don’t have any symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they’ll usually appear within the first 1-2 weeks after you’re exposed to gonorrhea. Common symptoms include frequent or painful urination, pain during sex, or heavy, cloudy, or bloody vaginal discharge. If you develop gonorrhea from performing oral sex on someone who’s infected, you may develop a sore throat or cough. The best way to know if you have gonorrhea is to get tested regularly.

How Do I Treat Gonorrhea?

You don’t. Go to the doctor immediately if you notice any of the symptoms. Treatment consists of antibiotics.

Is Gonorrhea Contagious?

Gonorrhea is highly contagious.

How Can I Prevent Gonorrhea?

The best way to prevent any sexually transmitted disease or infection is abstinence. The next best way is monogamy with a monogamous partner (who, presumably, has a clean bill of health). And the next best way is to use a condom every single time. No matter what. Period. And if there’s no condom, there’s no contact. End of discussion.

Sources:

• Mayo Clinic – Gonorrhea
• American Social Health Association – Gonorrhea Fast Facts
• eMedicineHealth – Gonorrhea
• Wikipedia – Gonorrhea
• Gonorrhea – CDC Fact Sheet

Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen KingTags: womens health blog, womens health, women, woman, health, std, sti, sexually transmitted disease, sexually transmitted infection, std awareness month, signs, symptoms, how do I know if i have, could i have, i think i have, how do i get, how do i treat, how do you prevent, gonorrhea, the clap, pelvic inflammatory disease, PID, lively women, kristen king