An Overview: Gonorrhea Infection & Its Symptoms

Gonorrhea infection is an STI (sexually transmitted infection) caused by the bacterium N.gonorrhoeae. It's the second most common STI, affecting 82 million people worldwide (as per the WHO in 2020). ^1,2,3 Many people may think that these figures are exaggerated, but they are not. Gonorrhea infection can affect both men or women equally. However it's often "asymptomatic" in women, making it difficult to diagnose.² In this blog, we'll talk about Gonorrhea infection, its symptoms, and prevention. So without further ado, let’s look into each one of them. 

Symptoms Of Gonorrhea Infection

A Gonorrhea infection affects the genital tract and rectum of both men and women. However, the specific symptoms in men include the following:^1,4 

• Dysuria (painful urination)
• Pus-like (it could be white, yellow, or even green in color) discharge from the opening of the penis
• Sore or swollen testicles

In women, the symptoms of Gonorrhea infection consists of:^1,4 

• Unusual vaginal discharge
• Dysuria
• Unusual bleeding, sometimes after sexual intercourse
• Abdominal or pelvic pain

The symptoms of Gonorrhea infection are not always obvious in women. Moreover, the initial signs of this sexually transmitted disease (STD) is often misdiagnosed as vaginal or bladder/urinary infections, because they are mild in nature.¹ 

Furthermore, Gonorrhea infection can also affect other body parts, such as:⁴ 

• Irritation in the eyes, accompanied by pus-like discharge, and sensitivity to bright light.⁴ 
• Joint inflammation or  gonococcal arthritis.⁴ 
• Itchiness and even pus or blood discharge from the rectum.⁴
• Sore throat or throat infection; moreover, some could even get swollen lymph nodes (a small, globular collection of immune system cells) in the neck.⁴ 

An STI can affect anyone, but some individuals are more prone to becoming infected than others. In the next section, we’ll take a look at the risk factors that may increase the chances of contracting Gonorrhea infection. 

Risk Factors 

Although Gonorrhea infection is highly contagious amongst any age group and gender, some factors still put specific individuals at high risk.⁵

These factors include:⁵

• Having multiple sexual partners
• Practicing unprotected sex 
• Sexually active individuals below the age of 25 years 
• Having a sexual partner who recently got diagnosed with Gonorrhea infection 
• Baby born to a mother who’s infected 

One must always engage in safe sex or use latex condoms to lower the risk of getting infected by  Gonorrhea. Additionally, if a person has a long-term monogamous relationship (sex with just one person) with a partner who has no STIs, they also have a lower risk of getting the Gonorrhea infection.⁵ 

Diagnosis For Gonorrhea Infection & Treatment

Diagnosis for Gonorrhea infection is rather easy than you may think. It only requires a swab from the infected area, such as vagina, anus or penis which is then taken to the lab for testing. Moreover, there are also urine tests, which can also determine the presence of a Gonorrhea infection.⁶

It is advised that you seek medical care if you or your partner have positive test results for Gonorrhea infection. Fortunately, STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) can be treated with antibiotics if they are identified earlier.⁶