Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Health
Why in News?
A study on gonorrhoea was published in the July–December 2024 issue of the Indian Journal of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS.
Gonorrhoea – It is a sexually transmitted infection.
Caused by– Bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Sites of infection– Urogenital, pharyngeal, rectal, and conjunctival mucosa.
Transmission – It is primarily through unprotected vaginal, oral, or anal sex.
Global Burden– According to the WHO, an estimated 82.4 million new infections were diagnosed among adults aged 15 to 49 years globally in 2020.
It is also reported that gonococcal infections have been higher in men than in women since 2013.
Causes – The common cause is unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex.
Other factors include chemical irritants, trauma(from intercourse or cervical procedures) are other causes, yeast infections, and allergic reactions (to spermicides, latex condoms, diaphragms, IUDs).
Symptoms
Men – Burning urination, pus-like discharge, itching/tenderness at the penis tip, sometimes blood in urine.
Women – It is often asymptomatic; when present, abnormal vaginal discharge (yellow/grey/pus-like), pain during intercourse, bleeding between periods, pelvic pain, and frequent urination.
Complications if untreated– For women, it results in fallopian tube scarring leading to infertility or ectopic pregnancy.
For newborns, it causes eye infection (ophthalmia neonatorum), risk of blindness, sepsis, arthritis, and meningitis.
Diagnosis – It is diagnosed by detecting the bacteria through urine or swab tests, with the Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) considered the most accurate method.
Treatment – As per the guidelines ofthe National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), India -
Antibiotic - Ceftriaxone 500 mg IM, single dose.
Abstain from sex for 7 days post-treatment and until symptoms resolve.
Additional screening for HIV, chlamydia, and syphilis.
If symptoms persist (3–5 days), a culture test to check for antimicrobial resistance.
For pregnant women, Prenatal screening is crucial to prevent neonatal transmission.
