Gonorrhea: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments


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Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that affects males and females alike. It is a bacterial disease that affects the rectal area and genital organs, and in some cases, may affect even the eyes, throat, and joints. In 2020, the CDC declared gonorrhea as the second most transmissible STD.

This blog discusses everything you need to know about gonorrhea and how online doctors can help you seek the right kind of treatment for the problem.


A woman with gonorrhea seeking consultation with a virtual doctor


What causes gonorrhea?


Gonorrhea is most commonly spread through sexual intercourse with a partner who already has the STD. Other causes also include anal or oral sex, anything having to do with genital contact between two people. It can also be transferred from the mother to a baby delivered through vaginal delivery.

Generally, the highest reported group of people with gonorrhea are sexually active teenagers, African Americans, and young adults.


Symptoms of Gonorrhea


What makes the diagnosis of gonorrhea tricky is that the carrier of the disease might not always show symptoms. Asymptomatic carriers are at risk of transmitting the disease to their sexual partner(s). In most cases, females with gonorrhea show mild or no symptoms of the disease.

Symptomatic victims of the disease must look out for manifestations of the bacterial disease in and around their genital tracts. In males, symptoms include:

  • Pus-like discharge from the penis
  • Painful or uncomfortable peeing
  • Inflammation or pain in one testicle
  • In females, symptoms include:
  • Painful peeing
  • Vaginal bleeding, apart from the menstrual cycle
  • Pelvic or abdominal pain
  • Abnormal vaginal discharge

While the genitals are the most common place to look for gonorrhea and STDs in general, some other sites of infection in the body also include:


  • The rectum: Symptoms include itching, discharge of pus from the rectum, bleeding, and straining during bowel movements.
  • The eyes: Although uncommon, gonorrhea patients may experience pus discharge from the eyes, light sensitivity, or even pain in one or both eyes.
  • The throat: Gonorrhea causes the throat to feel sore and lymph nodes to swell in the neck area.

A pregnant woman discussing symptoms of gonorrhea with her doctor at a clinic


Treatment For Gonorrhea


Gonorrhea can be treated with a prescribed dose of antibiotics in general cases. If your partner has tested positive for the disease, it is recommended that you get a test for gonorrhea as well. Males contracting gonorrhea might also want to seek erectile dysfunction treatment and diagnosis just to be careful.

You can speak to an online doctor about your symptoms and the treatment that will be best suited for you. While some medications work for gonorrhea symptoms on the genitals, anal infection requires different treatments.


Contact A Doctor


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At TelMDCare, we ensure to treat our patients as a priority. We have online doctor for gonorrhea on board you can connect with through a prior consultation appointment, or you may directly contact us to book a meeting for you. Our virtual doctors have years of experience in the field of medicine.

TelMDCare's telemedicine doctors believe in the power of digital services and its ability to connect patients with doctors nationwide. Learn all about our services here.