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Complications AdviceIf left untreated, the sexually transmitted disease known as gonorrhea can cause very serious and permanent health problems for both women and men. Although the disease is easily treated, many people don’t seek treatment because many never know they’ve been infected. All too often, symptoms never show up in people who’ve contracted the disease. Gonorrhea is a common cause of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women. In fact, it is estimated that over a million women a year this disease as a result of gonorrhea weakening the lining of the uterus. When symptoms do become present, they are often quite painful. PID can also lead chronic pelvic discomfort as well as internal abscesses that are extremely difficult to cure. In addition, damage to fallopian tubes caused by PID can cause infertility or increase a women’s risk of experiencing an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is one in which the fertilized egg actually grows outside the uterus, typically within the fallopian tube. An ectopic pregnancy is usually a life-threatening condition. If a woman is pregnant and infected with gonorrhea, she can pass the bacterial infection on to baby during childbirth. Due to the potential risk the unborn child, it is advisable for all pregnant women to be tested for unknown contraction of the disease. Women who have been infected with the disease can transmit it to their newborn through conjunctivitis, although it’s rare since newborn babies receive eye antibiotics as a routine preventative measure against infection. In other cases, gonorrhea can be transmitted during pregnancy and before actual childbirth. In these every rare cases, the gonorrhea often results in pre-term delivery or even death. Since the treatment of gonorrhea requires the use of antibiotics that are not safe for pregnant woman, you should immediately consult with your physician if you are pregnant and have, or believe you have, contracted gonorrhea. Among men, gonorrhea can cause an extremely painful condition that affects the testicles called epididymitis. Infertility can result if left untreated. Gonorrhea can also spread to the blood or joints and if it does so it can become a life-threatening condition. Finally, those with gonorrhea are more apt to contract HIV than those who are not infected. It is also easier for someone with gonorrhea to transmit Aids than an uninfected person. |
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