Gonorrhea is a very common sexually transmitted disease that is caused by the bacterium, Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It is estimated that roughly 820,000 Americans have a gonococcal infection, an infection involving N. gonorrhoeae, each year. According to the CDC, less than half of estimated infections are reported to the organization. It is also approximated that 570,000 of Americans who are infected with the disease are between the ages of 15 and 24. In a 2015 quantitative observation, the CDC claimed that 395,216 cases of gonorrhea were reported for that year. N. gonorrhoeae is a gram-negative, oxidase-positive diplococcus bacterium. It typically grows in small visible colonies that naturally exhibit a pink-brown color. N. gonorrhoeae is
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When men, however, display symptoms of infection, it typically consists of those associated with urethral infection, such as non-seminal and non-urinary discharges of substances from the penis. This can be complicated by inflammation of the epididymis, epididymitis, causing testicular pain and in rare cases infertility. In symptomatic instances for women, initial symptoms include vaginal discharge and bleeding, which often leads to it being misdiagnosed as a standard bladder or vaginal infection. Some complications for women include infection and consequential inflammation of the uterus and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Symptoms of PID can be anywhere from mild to severe with abdominal pain to damage of the fallopian tubes. Damage to the fallopian tubes can cause infertility and increase the risk of having an ectopic pregnancy, an instance in which the egg is implanted outside the uterus, which is life threatening. Symptoms of rectal gonococcal infections generally include anal discharge, soreness, itching, and pain during bowel movements. Pharyngeal (that of the throat, pharynx) infections are typically limited to a sore throat, but normally are not symptomatic in the first place. Left untreated gonorrhea can lead to disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI), in which the bacteria enters …show more content…
Proper administration of antibiotics is crucial in defeating the infection, especially since the rise of antibiotic resistance in N. gonorrhoeae is a topic for concern. Symptoms should be eliminated with successful completion of the antibiotic program, but if symptoms persist after treatment, returning to a physician to formulate a new treatment plan is
When men, however, display symptoms of infection, it typically consists of those associated with urethral infection, such as non-seminal and non-urinary discharges of substances from the penis. This can be complicated by inflammation of the epididymis, epididymitis, causing testicular pain and in rare cases infertility. In symptomatic instances for women, initial symptoms include vaginal discharge and bleeding, which often leads to it being misdiagnosed as a standard bladder or vaginal infection. Some complications for women include infection and consequential inflammation of the uterus and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Symptoms of PID can be anywhere from mild to severe with abdominal pain to damage of the fallopian tubes. Damage to the fallopian tubes can cause infertility and increase the risk of having an ectopic pregnancy, an instance in which the egg is implanted outside the uterus, which is life threatening. Symptoms of rectal gonococcal infections generally include anal discharge, soreness, itching, and pain during bowel movements. Pharyngeal (that of the throat, pharynx) infections are typically limited to a sore throat, but normally are not symptomatic in the first place. Left untreated gonorrhea can lead to disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI), in which the bacteria enters …show more content…
Proper administration of antibiotics is crucial in defeating the infection, especially since the rise of antibiotic resistance in N. gonorrhoeae is a topic for concern. Symptoms should be eliminated with successful completion of the antibiotic program, but if symptoms persist after treatment, returning to a physician to formulate a new treatment plan is