Gonorrhea

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Clap

There are two goals in treating a sexually transmitted disease, especially one as easily spread as gonorrhea. The first is to cure the infection in the patient. The second is to locate and test all of the other people the person had sexual contact with and treat them to prevent further spread of the disease.

Penicillin used to be given to patients with gonorrhea. But, it is not often used anymore because some types of the gonorrhea bacteria no longer respond to the drug. This is called antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is major public health threat in which bacteria can not be killed with the usual antibiotic medicines. Resistance to some other antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin, is a growing problem.

Drugs currently used to treat gonorrhea include:

• Azithromycin (Zithromax) 2 g by mouth, one time (for uncomplicated infections)
• Cefixime (Suprax) 400 mg by mouth, one time
• Ceftriaxone (Rocephin) 125 mg injected into a muscle, one time

A follow-up visit 7 days after treatment is important, especially for women who may not have symptoms associated with the infection.

Complications in women may include:

• Salpingitis (scarring of the fallopian tubes), which can lead to problems getting pregnant
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Vulvovaginitis
• Sterility (inability to become pregnant)
• Painful intercourse (dyspareunia)

Complications in men may include:

• Periurethral abscess (collection of pus around the urethra)
• Narrowing of the urethra caused by scarring (urethral stricture)
• Urination problems
• Urinary tract infection
• Kidney failure

Complications in both men and women may include:

• Disseminated infection, which can be very serious
• Infection or inflammation of the reproductive system
• Peritonitis
• Bacteremia (gonococcemia)
• Gonococcal arthritis (joint infection)
• Gonococcal pharyngitis (throat infection)
• Ophthalmia neonatorum (gonococcal conjunctivitis)

If you have symptoms suggestive of gonorrhea, you should call your health care provider immediately. Most state-sponsored clinics will diagnose and treat sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) without charge.

Review Date: 07/13/2006
Reviewed By: Monica Gandhi MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.