The increasing infection rate of gonorrhea in the USA is raising a lot of concerns, especially among health care experts. For instance, according to the report that was given by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 350,000 cases of gonorrhea were reported in the USA. The establishment of The National Gonorrhea Control Program in 1972 has not helped in reducing the infection rate significantly. The problem of gonorrhea is likely to increase as gonococcus, the bacteria causing the disease, is increasingly becoming resistant to available antibiotics (Parks-Chapman & March, 2018). Miami in Florida is some of the places where the infection of gonorrhea is increasing in the USA. Based on the latest report by the CDC, the rate of gonorrhea infections in Miami-Dade County is likely to increases unless appropriate intervention is taken by the state and local government.
Cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are increasing in Miami, especially among young people between 15 and 19 years. Although the number of people within the age bracket is declining in Miami, their infection rate has increased by about five percent since 2009. Gonorrhea is one of the STDs that are common in the USA, including Miami, especially based on the recent statistics that was released by the CDC in 2016 (Barous & Karakashian, 2018). It is estimated that between 20 and 25 people diagnosed with gonorrhea every single day in Miami, which is higher than the Florida state average. With the decreased used of condoms, the gonorrhea infection rate is expected to continue increasing in Miami. Besides, lack of proper education on STDs may increase the prevalence of gonorrhea in the county (Barous & Karakashian, 2018).
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Like many diseases, gonorrhea also has signs and symptoms, which can be used to detect or diagnose its presence in the body. However, gonorrhea is symptomatic in male while it is often asymptomatic in women. According to Parks-Chapman and March (2018), some of the major signs of the disease in female include virginal discharge and excessive uterine bleeding. The main symptoms of gonorrhea in women include rectal or lower abdominal pain, dysuria, and dyspareunia. The main sign and symptoms of gonorrhea in male, on the other hand, are urethral discharge, rectal pain, and urethral itch (Barous & Karakashian, 2018). Thus, the main parts of the human body that are affected by gonorrhea include urethra and cervix, even though it can also affect and pharyngeal areas
The treatment of gonorrhea is increasingly becoming a major challenge in the health care sector because gonococcus has developed resistance to some antibiotics that have been used to treat the disease (Parks-Chapman & March, 2018). Therefore, cephalosporins are the most effective and reliable antibiotic that can be used to treat gonorrhea. Ceftriaxone is another antibiotic that has been recommended for the treatment of gonorrhea in countries such as the USA, Canada, and the UK. Besides, intramuscular (IM) ceftriaxone can be used to treat the diseases because of its high level of efficacy. Parks-Chapman and March (2018) maintain that dual therapy is one of the best medical procedures that are used to treat gonorrhea. Still, gonorrhea can develop resistance for these antibiotic drugs. Gonorrhea is one of the most challenging diseases to treat.
Like many treatment procedures, gonorrhea medication is also associated with many side effects. Cephalosporins, which is the commonly used drug to treat gonorrhea in the USA, is linked to many side effects, including stomach discomfort, blood abnormalities, nausea, and diarrhea (Barous & Karakashian, 2018). At the same time, Cephalosporins and other drugs lead to skin reactions such as urticaria and rash. Liver toxicity is another serious side effect of gonorrhea drugs, especially Cephalosporins (Barous & Karakashian, 2018). Therefore, it is important to warn patients about the possible side effects of gonorrhea medication processes. Patients should be encouraged to complete the prescribed dose to ensure that the infection is completely gone. Nevertheless, to reduce the impact of side effects, people who are allergic to any of the antibiotic should not take or use them to treat gonorrhea.
Kularatne et al. (2018) maintain that a follow-up is needed after a person with gonorrhea has undergone treatment or medication. Patients should go for a post-treatment follow-up after fourteen days, which is conducted by culture. A follow-up test is also needed to determine whether the bacteria have been eliminated from the body. Follow-up is necessary because a high prevalence of gonorrhea is always detected among patients who have been treated of the disease ( Kularatne et al., 2018) . It is necessary to counsel patients after the treatments to refrain from sex before undergoing post-treatment. Gonorrhea is characterized by a lot of reinfection, making it necessary to educate patients about the disease.
T reatments of gonorrhea and follow-ups have a lot of long-term health outcome on patients. They result in a significant reduction on the risk of suffering from gonorrhea, especially due to the reduced chances of reinfections. Also, they lower the rate of gonorrhea infection among sexual partners, leading to a general reduction in the prevalence of the disease. Besides, treatment reduced the cost of managing gonorrhea, which may be high when the infection is not completely eradicated ( Kularatne et al., 2018) . It is estimated that the direct cost of treating gonorrhea is in the form of a million dollars annually, which can be reduced through prompt diagnosis and treatment. People who have been diagnosed with gonorrhea should seek proper treatment and go for follow-ups.
At the same time, gonorrhea is associated with many psychosocial factors. First, stigmatization is one of the main factors that prevent many people from seeking prompt treatment when they suspect that they are suffering from gonorrhea. Like many STDs, gonorrhea attracts a lot of stigmatization in society. Individuals who have a negative perception of STDs are not likely to suffer from gonorrhea, as they are determined to use protective measures during sexual intercourse (Parks-Chapman & March, 2018). Social behaviors such as drinking of alcohol increase the risks of contracting gonorrhea. For instance, people who frequently engage in binge drinking always suffer from STDs, including gonorrhea. Also, there is a positive relationship between intimate partner violence and the risks of getting gonorrhea infections (Parks-Chapman & March, 2018) . Hence, gonorrhea is linked to many psychosocial factors.
Therefore, the use of a condom is the first evidence-based action plan that can be used to reduce the infection of gonorrhea in Miami. Use of condoms is the action plan with the highest efficacy towards the prevention of gonorrhea and any other STD. According to Jones et al. (2016), the use of condoms is the best strategies that can be used to prevent the spread of gonorrhea even though it is not 100% effective. Condoms provide nearly full protection against gonorrhea, making it one of the most effective action plans to prevent the disease (Jones et al., 2016). However, the use of condoms does not provide a sustainable solution to gonorrhea infection because its use declines as the relationship progresses.
The second evidence-based action plan is encouraging favorable sexual behaviors and attitudes, especially among young people. Specifically, behavioral interventions that create fear about the adverse effects of gonorrhea can discourage people from engaging in unprotected sex. Peer-assisted education should be used to change the behavior and attitudes of young people about sex. A study that was done by Jones et al. (2016) found that that negative perception about diseases like gonorrhea motivates young girls to protect themselves against STDs. Thus, messages that instill fear among people should be used to enhance the use of protective measures such as condoms. Nevertheless, the action plan may not result in a significant positive impact because many people already know the danger of STDs and they still engage in unprotected sex.
The third evidence-based action plan is frequent screening to detect gonorrhea. A lot of cases of gonorrhea are detected at advanced stages, making it difficult to treat and manage them. To achieve frequent screening, it is necessary to develop simple and cheap diagnostic tests, which can be found in any hospital. Frequent screening reduces the risk of gonorrhea transmission significantly (Parks-Chapman & March, 2018). It reduces the rate of gonorrhea transmission between sexual partners and between mothers and their babies. People who have high risks of contracting gonorrhea should go for frequent screening. Frequent screening is a proactive approach that can be used to reduce gonorrhea infection in Miami. However, frequently screening is only possible when people are educated, empowered, and informed about gonorrhea.
In conclusion, the prevalence of gonorrhea is still high in the USA, especially in Miami. The ability of gonococcus to resist many antibiotics drugs is one of the major reasons why cases of gonorrhea are still common in the USA. Gonorrhea infection is also influenced by psychosocial factors such as stigmatization, the conflict between partners, and perception about STDs. Gonorrhea infection, however, can be prevented through the use of condoms, implementation of behavioral interventions, and frequent screening.
References
Barous, T. R. M. F., & Karakashian, A. R. B. (2018). Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Gonorrhea. CINAHL Nursing Guide . Retrieved from https://chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login. aspx?direct=true&db=nup&AN=T701525&site=eds-live&scope=site
Jones, K. A., Cornelius, M. D., Silverman, J. G., Tancredi, D. J., Decker, M. R., Haggerty, C. L., … Miller, E. (2016). Abusive Experiences and Young Women’s Sexual Health Outcomes: Is Condom Negotiation Self-Efficacy a Mediator? Perspectives on Sexual & Reproductive Health , 48 (2), 57–64. https://doi- org.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/10.1363/48e8616
Kularatne, R. S., Niit, R., Rowley, J., Kufa-Chakezha, T., Peters, R. P. H., Taylor, M. M., … Korenromp, E. L. (2018). Adult gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis prevalence, incidence, treatment and syndromic case reporting in South Africa: Estimates using the Spectrum- STI model, 1990-2017. PLoS ONE , 13 (10), 1–22. https://doi- org.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0205863
Parks-Chapman, J. R. B., & March, P. P. (2018). Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Gonorrhea, Disseminated. CINAHL Nursing Guide . Retrieved from https://chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login. aspx?direct=true&db=nup&AN=T701902&site=eds-live&scope=site
