Gonorrhea Symptoms
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). This means that you get it by having oral, anal, or vaginal sex with someone who has gonorrhea. Its caused by a type of bacteria that can grow in warm, moist areas of the reproductive tract, like the cervix, uterus, and fallopian tubes in women as well as the urethra in men and women. Gonorrhea can also grow in the mouth, throat, eyes, and anus.
Symptoms of gonorrhea Most women who have gonorrhea have no symptoms. When a woman does have symptoms, they most often appear within 10 days of getting the STD.
A woman may have these symptoms:
- Pain or burning when passing urine
- Vaginal discharge that is yellow or sometimes bloody
- Bleeding between menstrual periods
- Heavy bleeding with periods
- Frequent urination
- Pain during sex
Any genital symptoms such as discharge, burning during urination, or pain during sex should be a signal to stop having sex and to see a doctor right away. Women with gonorrhea are at risk of developing serious complications from the infection, whether or not there are symptoms.
In men, first there's a tingling sensation in the urethra, the passageway that carries urine from your bladder to the outside of your body. Later, urination becomes painful and you may notice a discharge from your penis. As the infection progresses, urethral pain usually becomes more pronounced and the discharge becomes more profuse and thick.
Men and women with an anal infection might have symptoms that may include discharge, soreness, bleeding, or itching of the anus, and painful bowel movements. Infections in the throat may cause a sore throat but usually cause no symptoms. With an eye infection, symptoms may include redness, itching, or discharge from the eye.
If you have gonorrhea, avoid sexual contact until a course of antibiotics completely eliminates your infection. Having had gonorrhea once doesn't provide you immunity from getting it again.
Gonorrhea Symptoms to G
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