Why is gonorrhea so common

Gonorrhea is an infection caused by a sexually transmitted bacterium that infects both males and females. Gonorrhea most often affects the urethra, rectum or throat. In females, gonorrhea can also infect the cervix.

Gonorrhea is most commonly spread during vaginal, oral or anal sex. But babies of infected mothers can be infected during childbirth. In babies, gonorrhea most commonly affects the eyes. Abstaining from sex, using a condom if you have sex and being in a mutually monogamous relationship are the best ways to prevent sexually transmitted infections.

The male reproductive system makes, stores and moves sperm. Testicles produce sperm. Fluid from the seminal vesicles and prostate gland combine with sperm to make semen. The penis ejaculates semen during sexual intercourse. The ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix and vagina vaginal canal make up the female reproductive system. In many cases, gonorrhea infection causes no symptoms. Symptoms, however, can affect many sites in your body, but commonly appear in the genital tract.

Make an appointment with your doctor if you notice any troubling signs or symptoms, such as a burning sensation when you urinate or a pus-like discharge from your penis, vagina or rectum. Also make an appointment with your doctor if your partner has been diagnosed with gonorrhea. The best protections against transmission are abstinence and proper condom or barrier method usage.

Symptoms usually occur within 2 to 14 days after exposure. However, some people who acquire gonorrhea never develop noticeable symptoms. A person with a penis may not develop noticeable symptoms for several weeks. Some men may never develop symptoms. Typically, symptoms begin to show a week after transmission. The first noticeable symptom in men is often a burning or painful sensation during urination. In rare instances, gonorrhea can continue to cause damage to the body, specifically the urethra and testicles.

The condition will stay in the body for a few weeks after the symptoms have been treated. Pain may also spread to the rectum. When they do develop symptoms, they tend to be mild or similar to other diagnoses, making them more difficult to identify. Gonorrhea symptoms can appear much like common vaginal yeast or bacterial infections. Healthcare professionals can diagnose gonorrhea in several ways. They can take a sample of fluid from the symptomatic area penis, vagina, rectum, or throat with a swab and place it on a glass slide.

If cells react to the stain, gonorrhea may be diagnosed. This test may also be completed by a lab technician. A second method involves taking the same type of sample and placing it on a special dish.

This will be incubated under ideal growth conditions for several days. A colony of gonorrhea bacteria will grow if gonorrhea is present. A preliminary result may be ready within 24 hours. A final result will take up to 3 days. People with a vagina are at greater risk for long-term complications from an untreated transmission. Untreated, the bacteria may ascend up the reproductive tract and involve the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.

This condition is known as pelvic inflammatory disease PID and can cause severe and chronic pain and damage to the reproductive organs. Women may also develop blocking or scarring of the fallopian tubes, which can prevent future pregnancy or cause ectopic pregnancy.

An ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus. Better screening and diagnostics helped identify cases and get people into treatment. Syphilis can show up on the body in sores and rashes. Gonorrhea and chlamydia can lurk with no symptoms.

But when left untreated, they can lead to infertility or life-threatening health complications, particularly in fetuses and infants. But other groups are now catching up too, especially women and babies in contracting syphilis.

But here are a few ideas, according to experts:. Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men are generally more at risk for STDs than women and men who have sex with women only. The majority of new syphilis and gonorrhea cases occurred among men, and in particular, men who have sex with men. The reason for this shift has been explained by everything from the success in treating HIV and therefore making unprotected sex less scary to the advent of PrEP pills that can prevent HIV.

A systematic review published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases found that some PrEP users are having more risky sex — and are being diagnosed with more sexually transmitted infections. The latest CDC numbers show a 40 percent increase in congenital syphilis cases from to When an expectant mother is infected with the disease and goes undiagnosed and untreated, the bacteria can get into her bloodstream and move through her placenta to her baby.

Congenital syphilis is associated with serious health consequences, like stillbirths and neonatal deaths. And newborn deaths linked to congenital syphilis — surged by 22 percent from 77 to 94 deaths. The large increase is being driven by only a handful of states. But right now, not enough women in these syphilis hotspots are accessing testing and treatment. Health experts increasingly view apps and sites such as Tinder, Grindr, and OkCupid as enablers of high-risk sex , helping people meet and hook up more efficiently than ever before.

The impact of these sites is so profound they are also transforming the way health officials track and prevent outbreaks. These places, after all, had become important meeting points for men who have sex with men — the group most affected by the HIV epidemic. The rise in chlamydia — which overwhelmingly causes no symptoms but can lead to infertility in women — may be an artifact of better detection and screening.