|
Nature of the Disease
- Gonorrhea is most often symptomatic in males and asymptomatic in females.
- Untreated gonorrhea in women can result in upper genital tract infection which
may result in pelvic inflammatory disease, tubal infertility, and ectopic pregnancy.
- Untreated gonorrhea in men can result in epididymitis and other less common
complications such as penile edema, abscess, and stricture.
Transmission Issues
- N. gonorrhoeae is efficiently transmitted from males to females via vaginal intercourse and also by rectal intercourse and fellatio.
- N. gonorrhoeae can be transmitted from females to males via vaginal intercourse and less efficiently by cunnilingus.
- Patients with gonorrhea are more likely to transmit and acquire HIV.
- Patients and their partners should abstain from intercourse until therapy is completed and until they and their sex partners no longer have symptoms.
Risk Reduction
The clinician should:
- Assess the patient’s potential to change behavior.
- Develop individualized risk-reduction plans with the patient.
- Discuss prevention strategies such as abstinence, monogamy
with an uninfected partner, use of condoms, and
limiting the number of sex partners. Latex condoms, when used consistently and
correctly, can reduce the risk of transmission of N. gonorrhoeae.
| 
