Gonorrhea Infections example essay topic

Approximately 1 million new cases of this disease are reported each year in the United States, and public health experts estimate that an additional million or more gonorrhea infections go unreported each year. Although these numbers seem very large, the disease occurs less frequently now than it did in the early 1980's. The rate of infection among young unmarried people between the ages of 15 and 24, however it remains very highly. Study results released in 1988 by the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute for Health Policy estimate that $1 billion is now being spent each year in the United States for the diagnosis and treatment of gonorrhea.

Gonorrhea is caused by bacteria. It is almost always spread through sexual activity involving direct contact with mucous membranes. It is readily transmitted through vaginal, anal, or oral intercourse. The cervix, the urinary tract, the mouth, and the rectum provide ideal points of entry for the disease. In woman, the most common site of infection is the cervix. In men, it is the urethra.

The infection can be spread from a man's penis to the throat of his sex partner, it is much less likely that a man will contract or spread the disease by performing oral sex on a female partner. This disease can also be passed from a mother to her baby during childbirth The greatest danger for the newborn is blindness, but this can be prevented by placing a few drops of silver nitrate in the child's eyes immediately after delivery. Because this treatment is so safe and effective, it has become standard procedure for all babies born in hospitals throughout the United States. Children who are infected with gonorrhea during birth can be cured and, if treated early, rarely suffer any effects from the disease.

One reason that gonorrhea continues to occur is that it is not always easy to detect. Symptoms usually develop within gonorrhea, fewer than 20% experience noticeable symptoms until more serious complications develop, although these women will be able to transmit the disease before symptoms appear. The most common signs of gonorrhea are inflammation of the cervix and secretion of a white or yellow discharge. Urination may become painful as well as more frequent, the infection can cause arthritis and blood infection. it is one of the primary causes of pelvic inflammatory disease, the symptoms of which include fever, chills, and abdominal and back pain.

PID frequently results in permanent sterility. Gonorrhea is somewhat simpler to detect in men. Early symptoms will be extremely noticeable at least 75% of the time and generally occur within 1 week from the time of exposure. The most common are a burning sensation during urination, a white or yellowish discharge from the penis, and soreness and swelling at the opening of the urethra.

Both men and women who contract gonorrhea through anal intercourse may experience inflammation of the anus, painful bowel movements, and a pus like discharge. A diagnosis of gonorrhea can be confirmed through either a culture test or a Grams strain teat. Frequently, both are used. The culture test is performed with a sample of the discharge taken from the cervix, urethra, anus, or throat, depending on the site of infection. The sample is allowed to incubate for at least two days and is then examined for the presence of gonorrhea bacteria, The Gram's stain test provides faster results bit is less accurate in diagnosing gonorrhea in women. A sample of the discharge is applied to slide treated with a special dye.

If the gonorrhea bacteria are present, they will show up under microscopic examination approximately 90%-95% of the time in males with symptoms and 50%-70% of the time in men without symptoms. In women the test will find bacteria only 50%-70% of the time whether the patient has symptoms or not. This disease frequently occurs in combination with other STDs. By far the most frequent one is chlamydia. Gonorrhea and syphilis also occur together fairly frequently. Most doctors and public health professionals routinely test for all three diseases whenever there is reason to suspect exposure to any one of them.

Gonorrhea can be treated with antibiotics either by injection or with pills. Amoxicillin, ampicillin, or penicillin is most frequently used. Sexual partners of people diagnosed with gonorrhea should also be tested and treated even if they show no symptoms. After treatment has been complete, a follow-up test should be performed to make sure the infection is gone. In recent years, strains of gonorrhea that are resistant to standard antibiotic therapies, especially penicillin, have become more common. In 1989, more than 38,000 of these resistant cases occurred.

Researchers are developing means to diagnose resistant strains of the disease and are working on more effective ways to combat them. Experiments are also under way to develop a vaccine for gonorrhea.