Signs and Symptoms of Gonorrhea
Most women having gonococcal infection
in the urethra remain asymptomatic or have trivial symptoms, while
majority of the men having the infection show clinical disease. Most
rectal and pharyngeal gonococcal infections are asymptomatic.
Gonorrhea usually presents with
urethritis (infection of urethra). It is among the more common cause of a
recurrent UTI due to sexual transmission. Women can also present with
cervicitis (infection of cervix). Other sites of infection can include
the rectum, vagina (in sexually immature girls), pharynx (throat), and
conjunctiva.
In men, gonococcal urethritis is
characterized by pain while passing urine and a purulent urethral
discharge. Women may have vaginal discharge, abnormal bleeding (between
the menstrual cycles and after intercourse), increased menstrual
bleeding and pain on passing urine.
Rectal infections can result in anal
itching, mucus discharge with feces, pain, and bleeding. Rectal symptoms
are more common in homosexual men than in women with rectal gonorrhea.
Pharyngeal gonorrhea is mostly asymptomatic.
Gonorrhea in children may affect the
eyes (ophthalmia neonatorum), resulting in pus discharge. It can lead to
blindness. Children may also suffer from vaginal or rectal gonorrhea
and in these cases, sexual abuse has to be considered.
In disseminated gonococcal infection, fever, skin lesions, and multiple joint pains are common symptoms.
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