This is a continuation of my series on this topic.
Yesterday we discussed Chlamydia which is an STI that can cause offensive Vaginal discharge which causes pungent vaginal odour.
We have also discussed Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) which causes offensive fishy vaginal odour.
Today let us discuss yet another sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can cause an offensive vaginal discharge that causes unpleasant vaginal odour.
This is GONORRHOEA. ( A well-known infection)
What is it?
It is another sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can affect both men and women and is caused by the bacteria known as Neisseria Gonorrhea.
At any point in time, about at least one million women are infected with it. This is to tell you; how common it is.
How is it contracted??:
1)Through Oral, Anal and Vaginal sex.
2) A pregnant woman can pass the infection to her innocent baby during delivery and this can cause very severe eye infection and even blindness for the baby. (This is important)
What of the story that it can be contracted through toilet seats??
There is no evidence that Gonorrhea can be transmitted from toilet seats or door handles because the bacterium that causes gonorrhea requires very specific conditions for growth and reproduction.
It cannot live outside the body for more than a few seconds or minutes, nor can it live on the skin of the hands, arms, or legs.
What are the symptoms of the infection?
* About 50% of the women with it show no symptoms
* Some have foul smelling vaginal discharge and therefore vaginal odour
* Pain in the pelvis (the part of your body just below your abdomen)
* *Pain during intercourse (dyspareunia)
*Burning sensation while peeing (dysuria)
* Vaginal bleeding between periods and also after vaginal intercourse
* Pain in your abdomen
Does Gonorrhea cause complications? Yes, it does and some of them are as follows:
Please note that if treated early, gonorrhea is unlikely to lead to any complications or long-term problems. However, without treatment, it can spread to other parts of your body and cause serious problems like:
* Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
* Infertility in both men and women
*Ectopic pregnancies
*Infection passed to baby can affect the eyes seriously leading to blindness and also other complications
*Increased risk of HIV
*If it spreads to other parts of the body it can lead to fever, rash, skin sores, joint pain, swelling and stiffness
* Rectal problems like anal itching, pus-like discharge from the rectum, spots of bright red blood on toilet tissue and having to strain during bowel movements.
* Throat symptoms. Signs and symptoms of a throat infection may include a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
*Joints. If one or more joints become infected by the bacteria, it can lead to what is known as Septic Arthritis. In this case, the affected joints may become warm, red, swollen and extremely painful, especially when the affected joint(s) are moved. This can be very serious.
* For an infected pregnant woman, it may lead to miscarriage, premature labour and premature deliveries
If you read till this point, you can see that this infection is similar to Chlamydia in several ways.
However, the bacteria that cause them are different and the antibiotics that cure them are also different.
Thanks for reading
Watch out for part 5
Cheers
Dr Chin!!!