ဆီးပူညောင်းကျရောဂါ / ဂနိုရောဂါ (Gonorrhoea)

Symptoms

Symptoms of gonorrhoea usually develop within about 2 weeks of being infected, although they sometimes do not appear until many months later.

About 1 in 10 infected men and 5 in 10 infected women will not experience any obvious symptoms, which means the condition can go untreated for some time.

Symptoms in women

In women, symptoms of gonorrhoea can include:

• an unusual vaginal discharge, which may be thin or watery and green or yellow in colour
• pain or a burning sensation when passing urine
• pain or tenderness in the lower abdominal area – this is less common
• bleeding between periods, heavier periods and bleeding after sex – this is less common

Symptoms in men

In men, symptoms of gonorrhoea can include:

• an unusual discharge from the tip of the penis, which may be white, yellow or green
• pain or a burning sensation when urinating
• inflammation (swelling) of the foreskin
• pain or tenderness in the testicles – this is rare
• Infection in the rectum, throat or eyes

Both men and women can develop an infection in the rectum, throat or eyes by having unprotected anal or oral sex.

If infected semen or vaginal fluid comes into contact with the eyes, you can also develop conjunctivitis.

Infection in the rectum can cause discomfort, pain or discharge. Infection in the eyes can cause irritation, pain, swelling and discharge, and infection in the throat usually causes no symptoms.

Gonorrhoea in babies

Gonorrhoea can be passed from a mother to her baby during childbirth.

Newborn babies normally show symptoms in their eyes during the first 2 weeks. The eyes become red and swollen, and have a thick, pus-like discharge.

Gonorrhoea can be treated with antibiotics when you're pregnant or when you're breastfeeding. The antibiotics won't harm your baby.

Causes

How gonorrhoea is spread:

The bacteria that cause gonorrhoea are mainly found in discharge from the penis and in vaginal fluid.

Gonorrhoea is easily passed between people through:

• unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex
• sharing vibrators or other sex toys that have not been washed or covered with a new condom each time they're used

The bacteria can infect the entrance to the womb (cervix), the tube that passes urine out of the body (urethra), the rectum and, less commonly, the throat or eyes.

The infection can also be passed from a pregnant woman to her baby. If you're pregnant and may have gonorrhoea, it's important to get tested and treated before your baby is born.

Without treatment, gonorrhoea can cause permanent blindness in a newborn baby.

Gonorrhoea is not spread by hugging, swimming pools, toilet seats or sharing baths, towels, cups, plates or cutlery. The bacteria cannot survive outside the human body for long.

Diagnosis

The only way to find out if you have gonorrhoea is to be tested. If you suspect gonorrhoea or any other sexually transmitted infection (STI), it's important not to delay getting tested.

It's possible to be tested within a few days of having sex, but you may be advised to wait up to a week. You can be tested even if you do not have any symptoms.

Early diagnosis and treatment of gonorrhoea reduces the risk of complications developing, such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or infection in the testicles. Complications that arise from long-term infection are much more difficult to treat.

It's recommended you get tested if:

• you or your partner think you have symptoms of gonorrhoea
• you've had unprotected sex with a new partner
• you or your partner have had unprotected sex with other people
• you have another STI
• a sexual partner tells you they have an STI
• during a vaginal examination, your nurse or doctor tells you the cells of your cervix are inflamed or there's discharge
• you're pregnant or planning a pregnancy

Testing for gonorrhoea

There are a number of different ways to test for gonorrhoea. In many cases, a swab will be used to remove a sample for testing, although men may only be asked to provide a urine sample.

A swab looks a bit like a cotton bud, but it's smaller and rounded. It's wiped over parts of the body that may be infected to pick up samples of discharge. This only takes a few seconds and is not painful, although it may be a little uncomfortable.

Treatment Options

Gonorrhoea is usually treated with antibiotics.

Antibiotics are usually recommended if:

• tests have shown you have gonorrhoea
• there's a high chance you have gonorrhoea, even though your test results have not come back yet
• your partner has been diagnosed with gonorrhoea

In most cases, treatment involves having an antibiotic injection (usually in the buttocks or thigh). It's sometimes possible to have an antibiotic tablet instead of an injection, if you prefer.

If you have any symptoms of gonorrhoea, these will usually improve within a few days, although it may take up to 2 weeks for any pain in your pelvis or testicles to disappear completely.

Bleeding between periods or heavy periods should improve by the time of your next period.

Attending a follow-up appointment a week or two after treatment is usually recommended, so another test can be carried out to see if you're clear of infection.

You should avoid having sex until you, and your partner, have been treated and given the all-clear, to prevent re-infection or passing the infection on to anyone else.

If your symptoms do not improve after treatment or you think you've been infected again, see your doctor or nurse. You may need repeat treatment or further tests to check for other problems.

Sexual partners

Gonorrhoea is easily passed on through intimate sexual contact. If you're diagnosed with it, anyone you've recently had sex with may have it too.

It's important that your current partner and any other recent sexual partners are tested and treated.

Treating babies with gonorrhoea

Babies with signs of a gonorrhoea infection at birth, or who have an increased risk of infection because their mother has gonorrhoea, will usually be given antibiotics immediately after they're born.

This does not harm the baby, and helps prevent blindness and other complications of gonorrhoea.

Prevention Tips

Gonorrhoea and other STIs can be successfully prevented by using appropriate contraception and taking other precautions, such as:

• using male condoms or female condoms every time you have vaginal sex, or male condoms during anal sex
• using a condom to cover the penis or a latex or plastic square (dam) to cover the female genitals if you have oral sex
• not sharing sex toys, or washing them and covering them with a new condom before anyone else uses them

If you're worried you may have an STI, visit a sexual health clinic for advice.

When To See A Doctor

If you suspect gonorrhoea or any other sexually transmitted infection (STI), it's important not to delay getting tested.