Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is an infection that is spread through sexual contact. It most often infects the reproductive organs. Gonorrhea doesn't cause problems if you treat it right away. But if you don't treat it early, it can lead to serious problems.

Many people have no symptoms of gonorrhea. If there are symptoms, they can take several days to appear. Or it may take several weeks. Symptoms may include:

• Pain when you urinate.
• Abnormal discharge from the penis or vagina.

If it isn't treated, the infection can move into the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries. This is called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Symptoms can include lower belly pain, pain during sex, vaginal bleeding, and a fever.

You can spread gonorrhea even if you don't have symptoms. You're contagious until you've been treated.

To diagnose gonorrhea, your doctor will ask questions about your health and sexual history. He or she may also do a physical exam. To confirm an infection, your doctor will also get a urine or fluid sample to be tested.

Antibiotics are used to treat gonorrhea. Early treatment helps prevent the spread of the infection. It also lowers your risk for other problems, such as pelvic inflammatory disease.

You and your sex partners need to take the antibiotics. If only one person takes the medicine, you may keep passing the infection back and forth.

To make sure that the medicine works, you need to take all of the medicine as directed. You also need to avoid all sexual contact while taking the medicine. If your treatment is a single dose of medicine, do not have any sexual contact for 7 days after treatment. The medicine needs time to work.

Your doctor probably gave you an antibiotic shot. If you were prescribed antibiotics to take at home, take them as directed. Don't have sex with anyone while you're being treated. Make sure to tell your sex partner or partners that you have gonorrhea. They should get treated, even if they don't have symptoms.