Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which can infect the genital tract and other areas through sexual contact. Common symptoms include painful urination and abnormal discharge. If left untreated, gonorrhea can lead to complications like pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. It is diagnosed through laboratory testing of samples from infected areas and treated with antibiotics. Consistent condom use and getting tested are effective ways to prevent the spread of this STI.

1. GONORRHEA
PREPARED BY ABUL HASAN MOLLICK
(BACHELOR DEGREE OF PHARMACY)

2. WHAT IS IT ?
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that is caused by bacteria called Neisseria
gonorrhoeae. These bacteria can be passed from person to person during sexual activity
(vaginal, oral and anal intercourse) leading to infections of the urethra (urine tube), cervix,
vagina and anus. If untreated, these gonorrhea infections can spread to higher portions of the
reproductive tract, causing prostatitis (prostate inflammation) and epididymitis (inflammation of
the epididymis) in men, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women.
Gonorrhea also can cause gonococcal proctitis (inflammation of the anus and rectum). In
people who practice oral sex, it may infect the throat, causing gonococcal pharyngitis.
Less commonly, gonorrhea can spread to other parts of the body through the bloodstream,
causing fever, a characteristic rash and arthritis. In pregnant women with untreated gonorrhea,
bacteria may spread to the eyes of their babies during childbirth, causing gonococcal
ophthalmia, a severe eye infection in newborns.

3. SYMTOMS
 Burning or pain when you pee
 Bleeding between periods
 More vaginal discharge than is typical
 Pain in your belly
 Pain when you have sex
 Pain when you poop
 Discharge
 soreness

4. COMPLICATIONS
 If you don’t get treatment, gonorrhea can cause serious and long-lasting
problems Including,
 Increased chance of getting HIV
 Infection in other parts of your body like your skin or joints
 Infertility

5. RISK FACTORS
 The surest way to keep from getting gonorrhea is to not have sex. You have a
lower risk if you’re in a long-term sexual relationship with one person and you’re
their only partner.
 Your risk for gonorrhea is higher if you:
 Are young
 Are having sex with a new partner
 Are having sex with someone who is having sex with other people
 Have multiple sex partners
 Have had gonorrhea before
 Have had other STDs

6. DIAGNOSIS
 Your doctor may suspect gonorrhea based on your symptoms, sexual history and
the results of physical and gynecological examinations. Your doctor can confirm
the diagnosis of gonococcal infection by swabbing the affected area (urethra,
cervix, rectum, throat) and sending the sample to a laboratory for culture (a test to
see if bacteria grow). The sample also can be tested to detect genetic material in
the gonorrhea bacteria.
 In people suspected of having infection that has spread beyond the genital tract,
other fluids, such as blood or joint fluid, can be sampled for culture.

7. PREVENTATIONS
Since gonorrhea is an STD that can be transmitted during sexual activity, you can prevent infection by:
1. Avoiding sexual activity
2. Having sex only with one uninfected person
3. Consistently using male latex condoms during sexual activity
4. To prevent gonococcal ophthalmia in newborns, all pregnant women at risk for gonorrhea should be tested
during the first prenatal visit and, if necessary, be treated for gonorrhea. Women at risk for infection during
pregnancy should have the test repeated during the third trimester.
5. As another preventive measure, newborns can be routinely treated at birth with anti-infective eye drops or
eye ointment.

8. TREATMENTS
The bacteria that cause gonorrhea have become resistant to many of the antibiotics
that were very effective in the past. The current guidelines from the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend treatment with a single
intramuscular injection of ceftriaxone (Rocephin). In addition, patients should also be
treated for Chlamydia, usually with an oral dose of azithromycin.
All sex partners of an infected person must be treated as well.

9. PROGNOSIS
 If gonorrhea infections are diagnosed and treated quickly and correctly, recovery
usually is complete unless pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) develops. PID is more
likely to develop if treatment is delayed. It can cause infertility, scarred fallopian
tubes (a risk of tubal pregnancy in women) and chronic (long-lasting) abdominal
pain.
 Health experts recommend that all patients treated for gonorrhea should be
treated for chlamydia as well because 15% to 25% of males and 35% to 50% of
females with gonorrhea have chlamydia infections.