Discuss the different symptoms of gonorrhea in men and women.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

For men, the symptoms appear two to five days after infection. Most cases of gonorrhea result from penis-in-vagina intercourse. In males, the gonococcus invades the urethra, producing urethritis. In most cases, symptoms appear 2 to 5 days after infection, although they may appear as early as the first day or as late as 2 weeks after infection. Initially a thin, clear mucous discharge seeps out of the meatus (the opening at the tip of the penis). Within a day or so it becomes thick and creamy and may be white, yellowish, or yellow-green. The area around the meatus may become swollen. About half of infected men experience a painful burning sensation when urinating. If the disease is not treated, however, the urethritis spreads up the urethra, causing inflammations in the prostate (prostatitis), seminal vesicles (seminal vesiculitis), urinary bladder (cystitis), and epididymis (epididymitis). About 80 percent of the women infected are asymptomatic. The gonorrheal infection in the woman invades the cervix where pus may be discharged, but sometimes slight enough to go unnoticed. The inflammation may spread to the urethra causing burning sensation on urination. If not treated, the Bartholin glands become infected. The infection may also spread to the anus and rectum. In about 20 percent of the cases of women who go untreated, the gonococcus moves up into the uterus from where it infects the fallopian tubes. This may lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which could lead to sterility. If the tubes are partially blocked, ectopic pregnancy can result. In some cases, gonorrheal infection is transferred from the mother's cervix to the infant's eyes during childbirth.