Menu:
Gonorrhea
What do facts point at?
- Every year about 1 in 4 sexually active teenagers get infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD).
- Gonorrhea is most common among teens aged 15-19 as compared to any other age group.
- Research shows that nearly half of high school students have had sex.
What is gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea is a curable sexually transmitted disease. The bacterial germs thrive on the warm, moist, mucous areas of the body that include genital tract, rectum and mouth.
How is gonorrhea spread?
- Gonorrhea is almost always spread through sex - oral, anal, and vaginal. Ejaculation is not necessary for the disease to be passed on.
- Gonorrhea can also be passed to the eye by a hand or other body part moistened with infected fluids. You can pass the germ on to others whether or not you have symptoms.
- Gonorrhea can cause an infection of the urethra in men and of the cervix in females. In severe cases, it might even lead to infertility.
What are the symptoms of gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea can be quiet and not produce any symptoms, but frequently it causes pus to come out of the penis or cervix, and cause a lot of discomfort. Symptoms of gonorrhea include:
- Discharge from the vagina
- A burning sensation when urinating
- Pain during intercourse
- Fever
- Pain, discharge, and bleeding from the anus
- Redness, itching, or discharges from the eyes
Why is gonorrhea risky?
Gonorrhea if left untreated can spread to the blood or joints and become life threatening. Gonorrhea infected people are more susceptible to contract HIV that causes AIDS and in turn transmit it to others.
How can I prevent spreading gonorrhea?
- If you think you have gonorrhea, stop having sex.
- Make sure you tell all your sexual partners that you have gonorrhea, since you could have infected them.
- Also, make sure you use a condom every time you have vaginal, anal, and oral sex.
How can I avoid getting gonorrhea?
- The best way to avoid getting gonorrhea is to not have sexual intercourse, until you get married.
- But if you decide to have sexual intercourse, always have condoms available. Never assume that your partner will have one on hand.
- Avoid multiple sexual partners.
- Also, know the sexual history of the person with whom you are having sex. Learn if they've had sex with other people who might have carried a STD.
- Learn how to say no when you don't want to have sex.
- A big help in avoiding gonorrhea is to avoid using alcohol and drugs. Alcohol and drugs can make someone commit mistakes, than if he were normal.
Gonorrhea can be avoided most of the time. You have to be alert and responsible to prevent its spread.
Copyright © 2006 teenhealthline.com