VENEREAL DISEASE – GONORRHOEA
Gonorrhoea or “clap” is an ancient disease and has been around at least since Biblical times. This is caused by a rounded bacterium, the gonococcus or neisseria gonorrhoea.
The incubation period is shorter than syphilis, being around two to eight days. In men, it usually causes an acute inflammation in the urethra or tube which carries the urine from the bladder to the outside. There is a discharge, often thick and yellow, and considerable pain on passing urine. These symptoms are usually so marked as to make the sufferer seek medical attention quickly.
But, in perhaps 10 per cent of cases, there are no symptoms and so the man may be unaware he has an infection and pass it on to others.
In women, at least 80 per cent have no symptoms and so are more likely to spread the disease. It is uncommon to involve the urethra so there are no symptoms related to passing urine.
It may involve the vagina or cervix and may cause a mild discharge. If the infection ascends and involves the fallopian tubes there may be severe abdominal pain and this infection may block the tubes, leading to sterility.
In both sexes, the mouth, throat or rectum may be involved.
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Tags: General health