Gonorrhea

(Clap, Neisseria gonnorrhoeae Infection)

In this factsheet:
• The Facts on Gonorrhea
• Causes of Gonorrhea
• Symptoms and Complications of Gonorrhea
• Diagnosing Gonorrhea
• Treating and Preventing Gonorrhea

The Facts on Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is the second most common sexually transmitted disease in North America. Only chlamydia infects more people. Gonorrhea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The disease can affect mucous linings in the vagina, cervix, penis, rectum, throat, and eyes. After declining steadily in the 1980s and early 1990s, the presence of gonorrhea in Canada increased by 45% between 1997 to 2001. In men aged 30 to 39, the rate increased by 68%. In the year 2001, over 6,000 cases of gonorrhea were reported in Canada, making it the most common disease for people under the age of 30.

Causes of Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is almost always sexually transmitted. Genital sex will cause gonorrhea of the genitals. Anal sex can transmit gonorrhea to the rectum. Oral sex can cause gonorrhea of the throat. Gonnorheal eye infections are usually found in infants who have picked it up in the birth canal, but adults may get eye infections if they touch the infected area and then rub their eyes.

Symptoms and Complications of Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is far more likely to cause symptoms in men than in women. In men, symptoms typically appear after two to seven days, but occasionally appear months after infection. There is a discharge of yellow or greenish pus from the penis, and a frequent need to urinate. Urinating often causes burning pain that can be severe. The opening of the penis may be red and swollen.

Most women don't have symptoms unless there are complications. A few may experience pain on urination. A few have a noticeable vaginal discharge which may actually be coming from the cervix. The discharge is usually yellow or green, but it may also contain blood. Often it has an unpleasant odour. Symptoms in women appear later if they appear at all, usually 7 to 21 days after infection. Most women are diagnosed only when their partner seeks treatment.

While women feel fewer symptoms, they are far more vulnerable to serious complications of gonorrhea. Left untreated, gonorrhea can work its way up the urethra and cervix to other pelvic organs. The result is pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), a very common condition that strikes well over a million North American women every year and can cause infertility.

Other complications of gonorrhea occur when the bacteria get into the bloodstream. They can cause inflammation and pain in the joints (arthritis) and liver (perihepatitis) and a potentially serious inflammation of the lining of the heart (endocarditis).

Gonorrhea of the throat is usually asymptomatic but sometimes causes a sore throat and difficulty swallowing. Gonorrhea in the eyes is serious - it can cause blindness if left untreated.

Some people with gonorrhea have symptoms involving the rectum such as itching and discharge or possibly painful bowel movements.

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