03/09/2021
Gonnorrhea: what's being tested in the Lab?
Gonorrhea is a common bacterial s*xually transmitted disease (STD) that can cause serious complications if not detected and treated. Gonorrhea testing identifies if the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the cause of a person's infection. Screening for, diagnosing, and treating gonorrhea is very important in preventing long-term complications and spread of the infection to others.
Gonorrhea is generally spread through s*xual contact (oral, va**nal, or a**l) with an infected partner. Risk factors include having multiple s*x partners, coinfection or previous infection with another STD, and not using a condom correctly and consistently.
While some men with gonorrhea will notice symptoms, most women do not or will mistake gonorrhea symptoms for a bladder or other va**nal infection. For men, symptoms usually appear within 2 to 5 days of infection but can take up to 30 days. Women who experience symptoms usually do so within 10 days of infection. Signs and symptoms of gonorrhea are similar to and can be confused with those caused by another STD, chlamydia, so tests for these infections are often done at the same time.
Gonorrhea can usually be treated with a course of antibiotics. If not diagnosed and treated, gonorrhea can cause serious complications.
In women, untreated gonorrhea infections may lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can develop from several days to several months after infection and cause complications such as:
•Long-term (chronic) pelvic pain
°An increased risk of tubal (ectopic) pregnancy, which can be fatal
°Infertility
°Pregnant women who are infected may experience heavy bleeding before delivery and premature rupture of the membranes and/or have babies with low birth weights. They may pass the infection to their babies during childbirth.
In men, untreated gonorrhea can cause complications such as:
•Inflammation of the prostate gland
•Scarring of the urethra, possible narrowing or closing of the urethra
•Infertility
•Untreated gonorrhea may also spread to the blood (septicemia) or joints, progressing to a serious condition called disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI).
