Gonorrhea is a widespread transmittable disease. It is an infection that is sexually transmitted and is generally caused by a bacterium known as the Neisseria gonorrhea . The infection is spread through any sexual contact or having sexual intercourse with an infected individual (Handsfield and Sparling, 2005). Gonorrhea is site-specific and usually affects the sexual reproductive organs of both male and female partners. The disease can also be spread to a child from a mother during birth and may affect the child’s eyes causing blindness, infection in the joints, and a deadly blood infection in the child.
Uncured gonorrhea may result in severe and permanent health complications in both men and women. In ladies, the disease may spread in the oviduct and uterus and bring about (PID) Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. The symptoms and signs can sometimes be rather mild or at times may be extraordinarily acute and may include fever and abdominal pains. PID may cause internal inflammations and chronic genital pains. When PID injures the fallopian tubes, it can result in infertility or escalate the possibility of ectopic pregnancy. In men, the epididymitis can further complicate the STI; however, in rare circumstances, it can cause infertility (Handsfield and Sparling, 2005). Also, it can result in a swelling of the epididymis whereas the epididymitis may cause scrotal or testicular pain.
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Also, when gonorrhea is left uncured, the infection may also travel into the blood system and result in (DGI) Disseminated Gonococcal Infection. DGI is typically characterized by dermatitis, tenosynovitis, and arthritis. In some cases, the condition may be life-threatening. The untreated infection may increase an individual’s possibility of transmitting or acquiring HIV.
Hospitals recommend that one way of preventing gonorrhea is by screening for the infection especially in women who have a higher chance of getting the infection that includes every woman who is younger than 25 years and is sexually active. Besides, medical professionals also advice for regular screening in individuals that have been previously tested positive for the infection or those that have several sexual partners as well as people who use contraceptives inconstantly, have sex for money or have sexual intercourse when intoxicated as a result of using drugs or alcohol (Mehta et al. 2003).
Another way hospitals can significantly take precaution from this sexually transmitted infection is by teaching people on the correct use of condoms. Also, hospitals can eliminate gonorrhea just about wholly by advising partners on the importance of limiting sexual intercourse to monogamous relationships with uninfected people.
Individuals who have been previously affected are urged to go back to the hospital for a check-up to ensure that the disease has been removed. Moreover, innovated technology such as the use of email, phone contacts, and text messages have been discovered to increase the re-testing for drug-resistant diseases.
Additionally, babies emerging through the reproductive organ are provided with erythromycin cream to apply in the baby’s eyes to avoid blindness from gonorrhea. Causal gonorrhea must be cured (Mehta et al. 2003). When treatment is done then generally a proper diagnosis can follow.
Treating gonorrhea can be done by giving antibiotics. The antibiotics may efficiently dismiss the symptoms and can also treat gonorrhea diseases, on condition that the medicines are consumed as prescribed. Cure can commence the moment the prognosis is made. An example of an antibiotic given is ceftriaxone that is injectable it is usually offered in mixture with either azithromycin or doxycycline (Bowden et al. 2002).
Also, hospitals recommend the use of both ceftriaxone and azithromycin. However, the cure for gonorrhea in expectant women is similar to the cure for non-expectant women. The only exemption is those quinolone antibiotics, like and ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin, are not offered to expectant women. These type of antibiotics may hinder the formation of DNA and lead to birth deficiencies (Mehta et al. 2003). Furthermore, expectant women that are allergic to cefixime or ceftriaxone can be injected with two grams of spectinomycin. However, vaccines are ineffective in averting the disease of gonorrhea as a result of several surface antigens which hinder the progress of a successful vaccine. Nonetheless, proteins like Opa have been deemed as the focus for a vaccine (Bowden et al. 2002).
Gonorrhea has continually persisted for many years and does not favor any age groups, sexes or economic status leading to a global problem. As much as gonorrhea is curable with a few antibiotics, it is still an antibiotic-resilient strain. Many such diseases are currently becoming more widespread, with resistance presently prevalent against stronger medicines such as amoxicillin, ampicillin, and penicillin (Bowden et al. 2002). Health organizations have announced several curricula making an effort to avoid an escalated incident rate. Every individual who is sexually active must be tested annually and take various precautionary measures, for instance, the use of condoms and transform interactive sexual habits.
In conclusion, Gonorrhea is a widespread transmittable disease. Gonorrhea is site-specific and usually affects the sexual reproductive organs of both male and female partners. Uncured gonorrhea may result in severe and permanent health complications in both men and women. Hospitals recommend that one way of preventing gonorrhea is by screening for the infection. Hospitals can significantly take precaution from this sexually transmitted infection is by teaching people on the correct use of condoms. Treating gonorrhea can be done by giving antibiotics.
References
Bowden FJ, Tabrizi SN, et al. (2002). Infectious diseases. 6: Sexually transmitted infections: new diagnostic approaches and treatments . Med J Aust.
Handsfield HH and Sparling PF. (2005). Chapter 209 Neisseria gonorrhoeae. In Mandell G, Bennett J and Dolin R, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious diseases. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Elsevier Churchill Livingstone. Vol 2: 2514-2529.
Mehta SD, Erbelding EJ, et al. (2003). Gonorrhoea reinfection in heterosexual STD clinic attendees: longitudinal analysis of risks for first reinfection . Sex Transm Infect.