Gonorrhea is caused by a diplococci gram negative bacterium called Neisseria gonorrhea. This is among one of the infectious pathogens that are transmitted sexually. How accurate are you informed about Gonorrhea. You may be wrong!
Gonorrhea Affects Only Sexually Active people.
FACT: Commonly, Gonorrhea is transmitted through sexual contact. It doesn’t matter, your activeness. You risk getting infected if you have sex with infected person.
THAT Gonorrhea Infects Only Nairobians (City People)
FACT: It can affect anybody irregardless of geographical setting, However social economic factors may contribute to its spread ie sexual activites like prostituition, easy and unregulated access to OTC drugs in urban setting compared to rural.
That Gonorrhea Can’t Be Treated.
FACT: There is preventive care for gonorrhea, which includes pharmaceutical drugs like Azithromycin and Ceftriaxone. However, there is a concern of Anti Microbial Resistance.
That Gonorrhea Only Affects Genitals
FACT: Sexual contact not only through gentals but also orally. Contact of fluids and sores, warts bearing the bacteria can easliy transmit the bacteria. And for that case pharynageal swabs are collected. Mothers who have gonorrhea risk infecting ther babies through child birth.
That Gonorrhea Can’t Dissminate to Cause Arthritis.
FACT: Untreated gonorrhea disseminates from primary genital organ epithelia into blood to cause “Disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI).” Arthritis is one of the presentations of the DGI.
That there Is No Difference Between Chlamydia and Gonorrhea.
FACT: For chlamydia, Women present vaginal discharge which might have strong odor, and yellowish, Men have cloudy/clear discharge. For gonorrhea. Both Men, Women. May experience green to white discharge. However they may present other similar presentations and have same treatment.
That Gonnohea Affects Men More Than Women.
FACT: Both men and women are affected by gonorrhea, however, Men present signs and symptoms including discharges, itching, genital pains and micturition. However., women present mild or no symptoms at all but that doesnt mean they can infect men
Women With Gonorrhea are Totally asymptomatic
FACT: However much they may be asymptomatic, a number have clinical presentation of some discharges and pains which may be confused with bladder or yeast infections.
There is No Test For Gonorrhea Unlike kits for Syphilis
FACT: Culture of urethral, rectal, pharyngeal, vagina swabs on Thayer Martin Agar (contain Vancomycin,Nystatin, Colistin and Trimetoprim to supress growth of normal flora). There by subsequent gram staining-Gram negative diplococci bacterium( kidbey shaped) that ferments only glucose but not maltose and sucrose.
However NAAT (nucleic acid amplification test) can also be used on urine and body fluids samples.
