Symptoms In Men And Those With A Penis
A person with a penismay 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.
As it progresses, other symptoms may include:
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.
Drug Treatment Of Common Stds: Part Ii Vaginal Infections Pelvic Inflammatory Disease And Genital Warts
CAROL WOODWARD, PHARM.D., West Virginia University Hospitals, Morgantown, West Virginia West Virginia
MELANIE A. FISHER, M.D., M.SC., University, Morgantown, West Virginia
Am Fam Physician. 1999 Oct 15 60:1716-1722.
This is Part II of a two-part article on drug treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Part I, Herpes, Syphilis, Urethritis, Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, appeared in the October 1 issue .
This article focuses on vaginal infections, pelvic inflammatory disease and genital warts, with brief mention of proctitis, enteritis and ectoparasitic infections. It should be noted that vaginal candidiasis and bacterial vaginosis are included in the following discussion, although these infections are not sexually transmitted. They are frequently diagnosed at the same time as sexually transmitted diseases , however, and the treatments often overlap.
How Is Each Condition Transmitted
Both STIs are caused by bacterial infections that are transmitted through unprotected sexual contact, meaning sex without using a condom, dental dam, or another protective barrier between you and your partner during vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
Its also possible to contract the infection through sexual contact that doesnt involve penetration. For example, if your genitals come into contact with the genitals of someone whos contracted the infection, its possible to develop the condition.
Both STIs can also be contracted through protected sex with a condom or other barrier if you dont use protection properly, or if the barrier breaks.
Either STI can be contracted even if you arent showing visible symptoms. Both STIs can also be transmitted to a child at birth if the mother has either condition.
Youre at increased risk for developing these and other STIs if you:
- have multiple sexual partners at one time
- dont properly use protection, such as condoms, female condoms, or dental dams
- regularly use douches which can irritate your vagina, killing healthy vaginal bacteria
- have contracted an STI before
Sexual assault can also increase your risk of both chlamydia or gonorrhea.
Both STIs can be diagnosed using similar diagnostic methods. Your doctor may use one or more of these tests to ensure that the diagnosis is accurate and that the right treatment is given:
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How Is Gonorrhea Contracted
Gonorrhea spreads through semen or vaginal fluids during unprotected sexual contact, heterosexual or homosexual, with an infected partner:
- vaginal or anal sex with an infected partner
- oral sex, although this is less common
- sharing sex toys
- touching parts of the body with fingers
- any very close physical contact
- the bacteria can be passed from hand to hand
- from a mother to her baby at birth
You can NOT catch it from simple kissing, sharing baths, towels, cups, or from toilet seats.
114 days.
When Can I Have Sex Again
If you had doxycycline, you shouldn’t have sex including vaginal, oral or anal sex, even with a condom until both you and your partner have completed treatment.
If you had azithromycin, you should wait 7 days after treatment before having sex .
This will help ensure you don’t pass on the infection or catch it again straight away.
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How Is Each Condition Analyzed
Both STIs can be analyzed utilizing comparable analytic strategies. Your PCP may utilize at least one of these tests to guarantee that the analysis is exact and that the correct treatment is given:
- physical assessment to search for side effects of a STI and decide your general wellbeing
- Urine test to test your pee for the microscopic organisms that cause chlamydia or gonorrhea
- blood test to test for indications of bacterial contamination
- swab culture to take an example of release from your penis, vagina, or butt to test for indications of infection
Complications from Chlamydia and Gonorrhea
Since these two maladies regularly have no manifestations, a few people go untreated.
Indeed, even with the individuals who have indications, disgrace, access, or different reasons impede getting clinical consideration.
Not accepting brief and legitimate treatment can make genuine medical issues.
For ladies, chlamydia and gonorrhea that goes untreated can spread through your uterus to your fallopian tubes.
Fallopian tubes interface the ovaries to the uterus and transport prepared eggs during pregnancy. In the event that untreated microbes that cause gonorrhea and chlamydia spread to this region, the outcome is pelvic incendiary ailment , influencing around 5% of ladies in the US.
Pelvic incendiary malady, like chlamydia and gonorrhea, can have no side effects or simply some pelvic or stomach torment at first.
Sadly, PID can harm a ladies conceptive framework, including:
Can Chlamydia Turn Into Gonorrhea
No, chlamydia on its own cannot turn into gonorrhea as they are caused by two different bacteria.
It does happen that people contract and carry both chlamydia and gonorrhea bacteria, so you can have them at the same time. Also, having one increases your likelihood of contracting another thus, it is always important to be treated for both.
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Recommendations Updated To Address Growing Antibiotic Resistance
30 August 2016: More than 1 million sexually transmitted infections are acquired every day worldwide. STIs present a major burden of disease and negatively affect peoples well-being across the globe. Chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis are three STIs which are all caused by bacteria and which can potentially be cured by antibiotics. Unfortunately, these STIs often go undiagnosed and due to antibiotic resistance, they are also becoming increasingly difficult to treat.
WHO has today launched new treatment guidelines to help address this issue. Based on the latest available evidence, the guidelines share new recommendations on the most effective treatments for these curable sexually transmitted infections.
Chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis are major public health problems worldwide, affecting millions of peoples quality of life, causing serious illness and sometimes death. The new WHO guidelines reinforce the need to treat these STIs with the right antibiotic, at the right dose, and the right time to reduce their spread and improve sexual and reproductive health. To do that, national health services need to monitor the patterns of antibiotic resistance in these infections within their countries.
Ian Askew, Director, WHO Department of Reproductive Health and Research including HRP.
Long Term Effects Of Gonorrhea Infection In Women:
When gonorrhea infection occurs in woman, it causes abnormal vaginal discharge, frequent urination, burning sensation during urination, pain in lower abdomen, pain during sexual intercourse and bleeding between periods. When left untreated or poorly treated it has further long term implications on the health. These are
Inflammation of the Pelvic Region:
The gonorrhea infection spreads to the upper reproductive system and causes Pelvic Inflammatory Disease . The uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries get affected. Since there is blocking and scarring of fallopian tubes, the eggs cannot travel from ovaries to uterus and impairs the process of fertilization. This leads to infertility where woman faces problems in getting pregnant. Another problem is ectopic pregnancy, where the fetus grows in fallopian tubes instead of uterus and often leads to spontaneous abortions.
Complication During Pregnancy and in Newborn as an Effect of Gonorrhea:
The untreated infected mother passes gonorrhea infection to her infant. This causes gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum in 28% of the newborn babies. Neonatal conjunctivitis can result in blindness. It may also result in preterm labor and miscarriage.
Other complications include fever, inflammation of the tissue surrounding reproductive organs and .
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Im Pregnant How Does Gonorrhea Affect My Baby
If you are pregnant and have gonorrhea, you can give the infection to your baby during delivery. This can cause serious health problems for your baby. If you are pregnant, it is important that you talk to your health care provider so that you get the correct examination, testing, and treatment, as necessary. Treating gonorrhea as soon as possible will make health complications for your baby less likely.
Am I At Risk For Gonorrhea
Any sexually active person can get gonorrhea through unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
If you are sexually active, have an honest and open talk with your health care provider and ask whether you should be tested for gonorrhea or other STDs. If you are a sexually active man who is gay, bisexual, or who has sex with men, you should be tested for gonorrhea every year. If you are a sexually active woman younger than 25 years or an older woman with risk factors such as new or multiple sex partners, or a sex partner who has a sexually transmitted infection, you should be tested for gonorrhea every year.
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How To Prevent Gonorrhea
Unfortunately, there are no drugs or vaccines that prevent gonorrhea. The best way to avoid gonorrhea is by employing safe sex practices, including the use of condoms. Getting a gonorrhea Infection does not protect you against future infections.
Gonorrhea is a common STI that is treatable. However, if you wait too long to get treatment, you run the risk of having serious complications, like scarring, PID, and possible future fertility issues. Know your STI status and encourage your sexual partner to do the same. Practicing safe sexual practices is the only way to prevent the transmission of gonorrhea.
How Is Gonorrhea Treated
Youll need antibiotics to treat gonorrhea. Your provider will tell you if you need the medicine via a shot or by mouth. IM Ceftriaxone and oral azithromycin are prescribed first. Make sure to take your medication as instructed, even if the symptoms improve and you start to feel better.
Never take someone elses medication to treat your illness. Doing so makes the infection harder to treat.
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Chlamydia Can Lead To Infertility
A lot of us dont realize that some sexually transmitted diseases can cause no symptoms, meaning you could have an STD and not know it. And some STDs can silently lead to infertility, ectopic pregnancy, or chronic pelvic pain.
Chlamydia is one of those diseases. CDC estimates that more than 2.8 million people are infected each year.
Chlamydia is most common in sexually active young adults. More than half of all infections involve people ages 18 to 24. You can get chlamydia during oral, vaginal, or anal sexual contact with an infected partner. The disease can cause penile discharge in men and infertility in women. It can also cause serious health problems in newborn babies of infected mothers.
Many women, and some men, are infected with chlamydia but dont know it. Even without symptoms, the disease can cause complications, particularly infertility. The longer the infection is untreated, the more damage that can be done.
If symptoms do show up, they usually occur within weeks of exposure. Men and women may face painful urination, an abnormal discharge from the urethra, or both. Women also may have abdominal pain, bleeding, and an abnormal discharge from the vagina. Symptoms usually appear within one to three weeks after being infected and may be very mild.
In pregnant women, chlamydia can cause premature delivery, the CDC says. A child born to an infected woman can develop an infection in their eyes and respiratory tracts.
Female Complications Of Untreated Chlamydia
Some women develop PID, an infection that can damage the uterus, cervix, and ovaries. PID is a painful disease that often requires hospital treatment.
Women can also become infertile if chlamydia is left untreated because the fallopian tubes may become scarred.
Pregnant women with the infection can pass the bacteria to their babies during birth, which can cause eye infections and pneumonia in newborns.
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Always Practice Safe Sex
Notice how this is under a section titled How can you reduce your risk. Reduce being the operative word. Even if you always wear a condom or a dental dam, theres a risk of infection. This is because some diseases are spread from skin to skin contact, from bodily fluids touching a part of your body, or from defective prophylactics.
This includes vaginal, anal, and oral sex. So if youre in high school and think that by going down on someone youre safe, hopefully youre reading this before going to that party.
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Symptoms Of Chlamydia And Gonorrhea
Once in a while somebody with gonorrhea or chlamydia doesnt show any side effects.
Truth be told, 75% of ladies and half of men with chlamydia show no side effects.
It is muddled how basic it is with gonorrhea, yet a few evaluations are that most of people show no side effects.
Indeed, even without any side effects, it is as yet conceivable to transmit the illness and harm the reproductive system. The key indications of gonorrhea and chlamydia can show up inside one to three weeks in the wake of engaging in sexual relations with a cooperate with the STD.
There are a few contrasts in how both STDs present in men versus ladies, yet all in all the most widely recognized revealed indications in the two people are:
Men can likewise have a more uncommon indication of expanding or agony in either or the two balls. Both can contaminate one or the two eyes causing release, conjunctivitis , or affectability to light. Both can likewise spread or contaminate the rear-end causing:
- Release
- Bleeding
- Rectal agony
Gonorrhea and chlamydia can likewise display mellow side effects, driving a few ladies to accept they have a yeast disease and self-treat with over the counter prescription.
Hence, it is imperative to counsel a specialist to guarantee you get an appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
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How Is Chlamydia Treated
Chlamydia can be easily treated with a short course of antibiotics. You may be able to take all the antibiotics in one day, or over a week, depending on the type of treatment you are prescribed.
Its important to not have sex until you and your current sexual partner/s have finished treatment. If youve had the one-day course of treatment, you should avoid having sex for seven days afterwards. Ask your healthcare professional when its safe to have sex again.
Remember that if youve been treated for chlamydia you are not immune and you can get infected again.
Can Chlamydia Be Prevented
The only sure way to prevent chlamydia is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
Correct usage of latex condoms greatly reduces, but does not eliminate, the risk of catching or spreading chlamydia. If your or your partner is allergic to latex, you can use polyurethane condoms.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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What Causes Chlamydia And Gonorrhea
Chlamydia is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. Its most commonly spread through vaginal, oral, or anal sex. While this infection mostly affects young women, men and women of any age can contract chlamydia.
Gonorrhea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Once referred to as the clap, this infection is spread through vaginal, oral, or anal sex. Similar to chlamydia, rates of infection tend to be higher in women but both genders can be affected.
What Happens If You Dont Get Treated For Chlamydia
Even though chlamydia is common and doesnt usually cause any symptoms, it can become a big deal if its not caught and treated early.
Chlamydia can spread to your uterus and fallopian tubes if it goes untreated for a long time. This can cause you to have pelvic inflammatory disease . PID can cause permanent damage that leads to pain, infertility, or ectopic pregnancy. So getting tested regularly for chlamydia really lowers your chances of getting PID.
If you have a penis, a chlamydia infection can spread to your epididymis if its left untreated, and can cause chronic joint pain. Rarely, it can make you infertile.
Having chlamydia may increase your chances of getting or spreading HIV.
If you have chlamydia during your pregnancy and dont treat it, you can pass it to your baby when youre giving birth. Chlamydia can also cause eye infections and pneumonia in newborns, and it also increases the risk of delivering your baby too early.
Testing and treatment for chlamydia is quick, easy, and the best way to avoid all of these problems.
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How Do You Know If Chlamydia Is Gone After Treatment
Your chlamydia symptoms should improve within a week of completing your course of antibiotics.
You do not need an immediate follow-up test to check if your chlamydia treatment has worked, as dead chlamydia bacteria may be detected 3 to 5 weeks after treatment, which would give a false positive result. But, if you have a rectal infection, you should have a test after treatment is completed.
If you are under 25 and have tested positive for chlamydia, it is recommended you take a repeat test 3 months after completing your treatment, to check you have not caught chlamydia again.
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This information is designed as an educational aid for the public. It offers current information and opinions related to womens health. It is not intended as a statement of the standard of care. It does not explain all of the proper treatments or methods of care. It is not a substitute for the advice of a physician. Read ACOGs complete disclaimer.