|
GONORRHEA (also known as Clap, Dose, Drip)
|
|
What is it? |
| Infection caused by gonococcus bacteria
that can live only in dark, warm, moist places, like inside your body,
cervix, penis, throat or rectum. Can cause PID (Pelvic
Inflammatory Disease) which, untreated, could make you sterile and/or
very sick.
|
|
How do I get it? |
|
Most always through sexual intercourse. In heavy petting, if genitals are touched, even without going all the way, you can be infected. |
|
What are the symptoms? |
| Nothing for 2-9 days, then frequent painful burning urination and whitish, greenish or yellow discharge from penis or vagina. In men, opening of penis may be red or sore. Other symptoms: Sore throat, swollen glands, discharge from anus or urethra. Sometimes there are no symptoms. Diagnosis is made by examining culture or smear. |
|
Is it dangerous? |
| Gonorrhea won't go away by itself even if symptoms disappear. Untreated, can cause PID in women; chronic prostate infection with painful urination and painful ejaculation in men; sterility and arthritis in both sexes; blindness if eyes are infected. Pregnant women can infect unborn babies. |
|
Is it common? |
| 1-2 million cases of Gonorrhea each year, mostly in persons under 25 and this includes teenagers. Penicillin-resistant Gonorrhea and Tetracyclin Resistant Gonorrhea spread rapidly and are harder to cure. |
|
How do I get rid of it? |
| Medical professionals will prescribe proper antibiotics. Take all the prescribed doses. Chlamydia is often present with Gonorrhea so both conditions should be treated at the same time. Your sex partner(s) should be treated to avoid re-infection. |
|
REMEMBER: |
| Even if you're cured the first time you can get Gonorrhea over and over if you don't take precautions. Use a condom when you have sex or insist that your lover wears one. |
|
For more information contact your local health department or physician. |