Symptoms of Gonorrhoea?

Some people with gonorrhoea may have no symptoms.

Men with gonorrhoea

Some men have signs or symptoms that appear 2 to 10 days after infection, though symptoms sometimes take months to appear.

 Symptoms or signs may include:

• A burning sensation when urinating
• A white, yellow or green discharge from the penis
• Painful/swollen testicles
• Arthritis (inflammation of the joints) or skin rashes (with severe infections)

Women with gonorrhoea:

Most women who are infected with gonorrhoea have no symptoms. Even when a woman has symptoms, they can be so non-specific and easily be mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection. However, women with gonnorrhoea are at risk of developing serious complications from the infections regardless of the presence or severity of symptoms.

The initial symptoms or signs women may experience, include:

• A painful or burning sensation when urinating
• Increased unusual vaginal discharge
• Vaginal bleeding between periods
• Abdominal pain or pain during vaginal sex

Rectal or throat infection in both men or women

Infections in the throat may cause a sore throat, but usually has no symptoms. It is possible for a rectal infection to cause no symptoms, but it may include anal discharge, itching, soreness, bleeding and painful bowel movements.

Complications or Consequences of Gonorrhoea

When gonorrhoea is left untreated it can lead to infertility and can sometimes cause infections in joints and skin in both men and women.

In women, the most serious complications from gonorrhoea is that it may lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) when the reproductive organs in the pelvis become inflamed. Pelvic inflammatory disease may cause ectopic pregnancies, infertility or chronic pelvis pain.  An ectopic pregnancy is when the pregnancy develops in the fallopian tubes instead of on the uterus.

Similarly, men may develop inflammation of their upper genital tract if gonorrhoea is not adequately treated. This may cause pain in the testes and lead to infertility if remained untreated.

Having gonorrhoea also increases your chances of contracting other infections, such as HIV.

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