Super Gonorrhea

If you thought penicillin was the answer to your STD questions, think again. Studies are showing that a new superbug of Gonorrhea is becoming drug-resistant.

Catherine Ison, who is the director of the sexually transmitted bacteria reference library with the United Kingdom’s Health Protection Agency, told the attendee’s at a scientific meeting last week that “If this problem isn’t addressed, there’s a very real possibility that gonorrhea will become a very difficult infection to treat”. The disease has evolved and medications once proven to kill the bacteria have become less effective.

It is fairly common for gonorrhea to cause no symptoms, especially in women. The incubation period, the time from exposure to the bacteria until symptoms develop, is usually 2 to 5 days. But sometimes symptoms may not develop for up to 30 days.

Gonorrhea may not cause symptoms until the infection has spread to other areas of the body.

Women

In women, the early symptoms are sometimes so mild that they are mistaken for a bladder infection or vaginal infection. Symptoms may include:

• Painful or frequent urination.
• Anal itching, pain, bleeding, or discharge.
• Abnormal vaginal discharge.
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding during or after sex or between periods.
• Genital itching.
• Irregular menstrual bleeding.
• Lower abdominal (belly) pain.
• Fever and general tiredness.
• Swollen and painful glands at the opening of the vagina (Bartholin glands).
• Painful sexual intercourse.
• Sore throat (rare).
• Pinkeye (conjunctivitis) (rare).
  

Men

In men, symptoms are usually obvious enough that they will cause a man to seek medical treatment before complications occur. But some men have mild or no symptoms and can unknowingly transmit gonorrhea infections to their sex partners. Symptoms may include:

• Abnormal discharge from the penis (clear or milky at first, and then yellow, creamy, and excessive, sometimes blood-tinged).
• Painful or frequent urination.
• Anal itching, pain, bleeding, or discharge.
• Sore throat (rare).
• Pinkeye (conjunctivitis) (rare).
• Symptoms of gonorrhea that has spread to sites other than the genitals (disseminated gonococcal infection) include:
• Rash.
• Joint pain or arthritis.
• Inflamed tendons.

And according to studies, women age 16-28 have the highest risk of catching gono. So if you needed another reason for your man to ‘pack-it, jimmy-it, cover-it, raincoat-it, etc, etc’ – here you go…!

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