Preventing the risk of re-infection with gonorrhea

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People who have been cured of gonorrhea are at risk of re-infection with gonorrhea if they do not persist in treatment, use incorrect drugs, in adequate doses, have unprotected sex with people who are infected,...

1. Overview of gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This type of bacteria can grow in a patient's cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, urethra, mouth, throat, eyes, and anus. Symptoms of gonorrhea in men and women have many differences. They are:
Symptoms of gonorrhea in women: 86% of women infected with gonorrhea have no abnormal symptoms. Others have some typical symptoms such as: Cervical thickening, yellow or green pus, urethral discharge, burning sensation when urinating, red in the urinary hole; inflammation, discomfort of small lips, ... Due to discreet manifestations, most women infected with gonorrhea often go to the doctor late, 8-10 weeks after being infected. If treated late, gonococcal bacteria that cause long-term gonorrhea can penetrate the endometrium, travel back from the cervical wall to the fallopian tubes, causing tubal inflammation with manifestations such as irregular menstruation, pain, Heavy bleeding, lower abdominal pain, fever,... Patients are likely to experience sequelae such as: Unable to restore some ovarian function, prolonged menstrual period, abnormal uterine bleeding, occasional bleeding bleeding, blocked fallopian tubes, ... easily lead to ectopic pregnancy or infertility. Pregnant women who have been infected with gonorrhea for a long time can infect their babies during labor. The baby can be born blind, have a joint infection or a very dangerous blood infection; Symptoms of gonorrhea in men: 55% of men have no obvious symptoms after having gonorrhea. Others, after contracting the disease, will have urethritis with symptoms such as fluid in the mouth of the flute, thick fluid, cloudy or greenish blood, painful urination, frequent urination,... Urethritis can be relieved or spontaneous. After 2 weeks, even without treatment, gonorrhea bacteria are still there, invading the posterior urethra and prostate gland. Gonorrhea bacteria can also enter the vas deferens and then into the testicles, causing inflammation of one or both testicles, easily scaring the epididymis, blocking the vas deferens, leading to infertility. If left untreated, chronic gonorrhea can cause serious complications such as blindness, infertility or even death.
The treatment of gonorrhea should note:
When detecting symptoms of the disease, it is necessary to immediately go to specialized medical facilities for timely examination, detection and treatment; Check the source of infection, treat both spouses or sexual partners at the same time; Treat with the right medicine, in the right dose, and strictly follow the doctor's treatment regimen; During treatment, the patient is not allowed to have sex with others until the gonorrhea is completely cured to avoid spreading the disease to others and avoid the risk of gonorrhea re-infection.

2. Causes of recurrent gonorrhea

Does gonorrhea recur? The answer is yes. Gonorrhea can recur due to the following reasons:
Do not persist in treatment: Some patients with long-term gonorrhea often have psychological apprehensions, do not want to be treated for a long time. treatment or having sex during treatment, causing reinfection. Using the wrong medicine: One reason for the failure of the long-term treatment of gonorrhea is that the patient takes the wrong drug because he buys the drug himself or the doctor prescribes the wrong drug. In addition, gonorrhea is also a disease with a high rate of drug resistance, so previous antibiotics used to treat gonorrhea have not necessarily brought good results to patients, making the disease take a long time to heal and easy to relapse; No treatment for common complications: Gonorrhea is often accompanied by urethritis, prostatitis, cervicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, etc. To treat the disease thoroughly, it is necessary to find the cause of the disease and treat it. concurrent complications. Otherwise, it will be difficult to treat the disease completely, which easily leads to recurrent gonorrhea. Inadequate drug use: Many patients stop treatment for gonorrhea midway, causing the medication process to be interrupted or the treatment process to be unsatisfactory for complete treatment. From there, the patient is at risk of turning to gonorrhea that is long-term, chronic, easy to recur and difficult to treat at the root; Unprotected sex: Many people with gonorrhea are re-infected with gonorrhea because they continue to have unprotected sex with a carrier. Doctors often recommend that patients with gonorrhea should take their spouse or partner to be tested for treatment at the same time because if only one side treats the disease, it will never be completely treated, causing re-infection.

3. Measures to reduce the risk of gonorrhea re-infection

To reduce the risk of gonorrhea recurrence after treatment, patients should follow these guidelines:
Take your spouse or sexual partner for testing and treatment for gonorrhea and if unfortunately they also have gonorrhea disease Living faithfully monogamous Do not share underwear, towels with others Strictly follow the doctor's treatment regimen about the time to take the medicine, the dose of the drug used Do not have sex until the disease is cured complete Regular check-ups after being treated to make sure that the gonorrhea bacteria is completely eradicated Once treatment is completed and sex is resumed, a condom should be used every time you give birth Sexual activity Gonorrhea can be treated but has a high recurrence rate if the patient does not follow the doctor's treatment regimen. Treatment time for gonorrhea is different for each person, depending on the condition and severity of each person's disease. Therefore, when there are symptoms of gonorrhea, patients should go to the doctor immediately for early treatment, shorten the treatment time, return to normal life soon and minimize the risk of unpredictable complications. .
Vinmec International General Hospital offers a Package of Examination and Screening for social diseases to help customers detect diseases early and have effective treatment and prevent dangerous complications. The screening package for social diseases at Vinmec is for all ages, both men and women.

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