What type of medicine can be used to treat gonorrhoea?

An overview

Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by bacterial infections called Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It is most common in young people and affects the genital tract, mouth and anus. Most commonly, it is transmitted through sexual contact.

Both sexual acts involving penetration and those involving the exchange of bodily fluids are at risk of getting the infection. By exchanging sex toys, you might also contract gonorrhoea.

You may transfer the virus if you don't have the symptoms. Therefore gonorrhoea testing and treatment should be performed on all of your close sexual partners. Additionally, your previous partner should also be evaluated even if you have not had sex with them in recent times. Your recent partner should also get treatment because the test might be negative but there is a chance of infection.

Medications for the treatment of gonorrhoea

The proper medical care can cure gonorrhoea. Doctors advise 500 mg of intramuscular cephalosporin antibiotics as a single dose for gonorrhoea treatment. When ceftriaxone is ineffective for treating rectal or urogenital gonorrhoea, several other oral medications like the antibiotic ceftriaxone are available.

An injection is commonly given in the patient's thigh to treat gonorrhoea. However, in some cases, oral antibiotics are also advised.

If you have any uncomplicated gonorrhoea effects, they will often go away in a few days. However, any pelvic or testicular pain may take as long as two weeks to go away entirely.

Following treatment, it is typically advised that you go to a follow-up visit so that another test and clinical examination can be done to determine whether you are infection-free or not.

To eliminate recontamination or spreading the infection to anyone else, wait until you and your sexual partner have received gonorrhoea treatment from the sexual health clinic and have been cleared before engaging in sexual activity.

Consult your doctor or nurse if your symptoms do not subside following therapy or if you believe you have contracted the illness once more. To rule out other issues, you might require additional testing or repetition of your current treatment for gonorrhoea.

Read more: Best treatments for gonorrhoea?

What are the risk factors for gonorrhoea infection?

Gonorrhoea can be acquired by sexually active individuals of any age or sex and transmitted to your sexual partners. During pregnancy, if you have a gonorrhoea infection, you might transfer it to your newborn baby.

The following people are at increased risk

• People who are younger than 25 years of age

• Patients who have a history of sexually transmitted infection

• People who have sex with multiple partners and not using condoms or protection contraception.

Read more: Can you contract gonorrhoea from kissing?

Symptoms of gonorrhoea

The typical time duration for the onset of gonorrhoea symptoms is two to fourteen days following exposure to the infection.

However, in men, the symptoms appear after one week of getting an infection.

Some men might not have any observable symptoms. However, because of the absence of significant signs and symptoms, the condition could still transfer from the infected individual to others who may not be informed of it.

Infected men can observe the following symptoms

• Experiencing a burning sensation while urinating

• Increased urination frequency or urgency

• A foul smell discharge that resembles pus from the testis.

Common symptoms for women infected with gonorrhoea

Many times, gonorrhoea in women does not cause any observable symptoms. When symptoms do emerge, they can, however, be extremely distressing.

• Experiencing burning while urinating

• Increased urination frequency or urgency

• Having pain during sexual activity

• A sharp lower abdominal ache

• General discomfort in the external vaginal area

• Bleeding during vaginal sex and increased discharge during periods

• Increased body temperature

Along with the genital symptoms, both men and women may experience throat infections also.

Diagnosis of gonorrhoea

Earlier Gram stain tests were used to diagnose gonorrhoea. However, PCR tests are currently most commonly used for the early diagnosis of gonorrhoea infection.

Antibiotic culture should be performed to establish antibiotic sensitivity in patients who are not responding to initial treatment.

People with positive gonorrhoea should also be evaluated for other sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis, chlamydia and HIV infections. Some studies have shown that gonorrhoea and chlamydia infection simultaneously may occur.

You can check your gonorrhoea infection through Welzo test services.

Complications of gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea can have dangerous side effects if left untreated.

Gonorrhoea-infected women may experience pelvic inflammatory disease, which can harm the fallopian tubes of women.

When this happens, the woman may struggle to conceive or have a higher chance of having an ectopic pregnancy, which is when a fertilised egg develops outside the uterus.

Infected men with gonorrhoea may also develop epididymitis, which is an infection of a tube located at the back of the testicles. This tube store sperm in males and an infection of this tube can lead men to infertility.

The infection can also spread to other parts of the body. It can also infect the brain and joints of your body. Additionally, gonorrhoea infection can increase the chances of HIV infection.

Read more: How can you contract gonorrhoea of the throat?

How to prevent gonorrhoea?

Like most sexually transmitted diseases, the risk of infection can be considerably decreased by using condoms correctly.

Those who have already contracted the virus are urged to return for follow-up treatment to ensure the infection has been treated.

As part of maternity care, monitoring for gonorrhoea is advised in pregnant women who are determined to have a high risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

Erythromycin eye drops are applied to newborns as they exit the birth canal to prevent infection-related disability. It is important to treat underlying gonorrhoea since a positive outcome will typically ensue.

Order the Welzo at-home Gonorrhoea Test today to detect if you have a current infection.