Gonorrhea in Females

Gonorrhea is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. It is caused by bacteria and is passed from person to person during sex. Gonorrhea most often starts as an infection of the cervix (opening to the uterus).

Popular names for gonorrhea are clap, drip, dose, and strain.

What are the symptoms?

Many women infected with gonorrhea have no symptoms. If symptoms occur, they appear 2 to 10 days after exposure to the disease. Symptoms of gonorrhea include:

• thick, creamy, yellow vaginal discharge
• burning pain when going to the bathroom
• bleeding or spotting between periods
• heavier than usual menstrual periods
• abdominal pain
• pain during sex
• fever.

How long will it last?

The outcome of a gonorrheal infection depends on:

• the length of time you have been infected
• the extent of the infection; that is, whether the infection has spread to other parts of your body
• the number of previous gonorrheal infections you have had.

If only the cervix is infected, proper treatment should clear up the infection in about 10 days.

If not treated, gonorrhea in women can spread through the uterus to the fallopian tubes and ovaries, causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID can cause infertility, as well as increase the risk of a tubal pregnancy (a pregnancy outside the uterus). Further complications of untreated gonorrhea include spread of infection into the bloodstream and to other parts of the body.

Gonorrhea can be transmitted from a mother to her baby during birth.

What is the treatment?

1. Antibiotics for gonorrhea

   Your treatment is ______________________________________

   ________________________________________________________.

2. Antibiotics for chlamydia

   Because many women who have gonorrhea also have a chlamydial infection, treatment for gonorrhea also includes treatment for chlamydia. You will need to take the antibiotic prescribed by your physician.

   Your treatment is ______________________________________

   _____________________________________________________.

   Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or might be pregnant so he or she can prescribe the right medicine.

3. Contacts

   Tell everyone with whom you have had sex in the last 3 months about your infection. They must also be treated, even if they have no symptoms. Do not have sex until both you and your partner have finished all the medication.

4. Follow-up

   Return to your physician about 7 days after finishing your medication so that your physician can make sure that the infection is gone.

5. Prevention

   Because gonorrhea is sexually transmitted, there are ways that you can help prevent this infection. Not having sex (abstinence) is the best method of prevention. Use of condoms is the next best method. You are less likely to get a sexually transmitted disease if you have just one sexual partner.

   It is possible to be infected with chlamydia or gonorrhea and yet not have any symptoms. If you continue to be sexually active, you should get a test for chlamydia and a gonorrhea culture at your yearly pelvic examination, along with a Pap smear.

When should I call my health care provider?

Call IMMEDIATELY if:

• You develop severe abdominal pain.
• You vomit and cannot hold the medication down.
• You develop a fever over 100°F (37.8°C).
• You feel you are getting sicker.

Call during office hours if:

• You have other questions or concerns.