Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease with common symptoms including difficulty urinating, abdominal pain, unusual discharge, itchy throat, and difficulty swallowing.
Dr. Vu Thi Thuy Trang, a specialist in Dermatology and Cosmetic Dermatology at Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, said that gonorrhea is an infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Both men and women can contract the disease through unsafe sexual intercourse. The disease affects many different organs in the body simultaneously, typically including the genitals, throat, rectum, and joints.
Gonorrhea typically has an incubation period of a few days to a week. During this time, the disease is asymptomatic. When symptoms develop, they usually include abnormal genital discharge; burning pain during urination; difficulty urinating; testicular pain and swelling in men, lower abdominal or pelvic pain in women, pain during intercourse, and abnormal bleeding between menstrual periods.
Gonorrhea in the throat (through oral sex) or rectum (through anal sex) is less common and presents with specific symptoms such as: itchy, uncomfortable, sore throat, difficulty swallowing; itchy anus, discharge, and pain during bowel movements.
Gonorrhea is easily transmitted through unprotected sex. Photo: Freepik
If left undetected and untreated, the disease can lead to many dangerous health complications. Even those who have had the disease and been treated are at risk of reinfection if they continue to have sexual contact with someone infected with the virus. Factors that increase the risk of infection include: having multiple sexual partners, being young, having sex with a new partner who has a history of gonorrhea, and having had other sexually transmitted infections.
Besides sexual contact, the disease can also be transmitted from mother to child during vaginal delivery, affecting the newborn's eyes. However, gonorrhea bacteria cannot survive for long outside the body, so the risk of infection from touching objects such as toilet seats, clothing, etc., is very low.
Untreated gonorrhea can lead to many dangerous complications. In women, over time, the bacteria can spread to the reproductive tract, affecting the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. This is one of the main causes of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which causes severe pain. If it causes purulent inflammation of the fallopian tubes, the disease often leaves scars on the tubes, making pregnancy difficult and potentially leading to ectopic pregnancy.
In men, the disease can cause scarring in the urethra, abscess formation inside the penis, affecting fertility, epididymitis, vasitis, and infection spreading into the bloodstream, leading to rare but serious complications such as arthritis and heart valve damage.
Therefore, Dr. Vu Thi Thuy Trang, a specialist in Dermatology and Cosmetic Dermatology, advises patients to immediately contact a dermatologist or cosmetic dermatologist when noticing any worrying symptoms, such as a burning sensation during urination, or unusual discharge from the genitals or rectum. Additionally, those previously diagnosed with gonorrhea should have regular check-ups, as ineffective treatment increases the risk of reinfection.
Mai Hoa
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