How is gonorrhea in men different from gonorrhea in women?

Under normal physiological conditions, there are anatomical differences between men and women in the urethra. The female urethra is shorter than that of men, so gonorrhea is less prevalent. In terms of symptoms, gonorrhea in men and women is different, because the male urethra is long, the acute stage of gonorrhea in men is loud, while in women it is silent, easy to ignore.

Gonorrhea is a fairly common social disease today, caused by bacteria with the scientific name Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This is a type of bacteria that usually occurs in the vagina and cervix of women; eyes, mouth, anus and especially in the urethra of men. Gonorrhea can occur at any age, but is most common in both men and women of reproductive age.
So how is gonorrhea transmitted? Gonorrhea is transmitted from one person to another through unprotected sex, from mother to child through childbirth, and through indirect transmission.
Sexual transmission: This is the main cause of gonorrhea transmission, about 90% of gonorrhea cases are due to unprotected sex. You are at high risk of catching gonorrhea if you have sex with multiple partners, especially sex workers, homosexual and homosexual relationships... Mother-to-child transmission: Mother has gonorrhea can be passed on to the baby through vaginal delivery. During labor, the fetus goes through the birth canal, comes into contact with bacteria in the mother's vagina, so it is susceptible to infection. Transmitted by blood transfusion: Gonorrhea bacteria live in the blood of an infected person. If you receive blood from an infected person or share needles with someone who has gonorrhea, the chances of you getting infected are very high. Indirect transmission: Gonorrhea bacteria will be transmitted from one person to another through indirect contact such as sharing personal items, sharing clothes,... However, gonorrhea is a virus. bacteria are very weak, will quickly die when out of the body, so the indirect transmission route of gonorrhea bacteria is rarer.

In terms of symptoms, gonorrhea in men and women is different, because the male urethra is long, so in the acute stage, gonorrhea in men has a loud nature, while women whisper quietly, so it is easy to ignore. source of infection is of great concern.

Manifestations of gonorrhea appear clearly in 90% of men in the early stages. Some symptoms of gonorrhea in men:
Purulent discharge in the penis, yellow pus: The more severe the infection, the more pus discharge. Urinary abnormalities: Urination many times a day, burning pain and burning sensation when urinating. Epididymitis: For men who do not have gonorrhea symptoms initially, when gonorrhea bacteria spread to the surrounding skin such as the scrotum and testicles, it will cause epididymitis. Pain or swelling in the urethral opening due to an inflamed urethra; ejaculate blood. In addition, gonorrhea in men also makes the body often tired, exhausted, low-grade fever, swollen inguinal lymph nodes, poor appetite, so it can easily lead to weight loss and imbalance in life.

Gonorrhea in women is different from men. So how to recognize gonorrhea in women? In the acute stage, the symptoms of gonorrhea in women are silent and unknown, according to statistics, about 97% of cases have no symptoms, the remaining 3% have only transient mild symptoms. Some of the symptoms that appear, if any, are often mistaken for a gynecological infection or a bladder infection.
Only when the disease has progressed to a severe stage will symptoms such as:
Vaginal discharge is abnormal, white, foul-smelling discharge. The urethral opening is red. Frequent urination, burning sensation, pain when urinating. Vaginal bleeding even if not during menstruation. Abdominal pain, back pain, pain in the pelvis, especially pain during sex. On examination, the cervix will be edematous, red, swollen, purulent and bleeding. Gonorrhea in women can cause fever.

Complications of gonorrhea that men may encounter are inflammation of the genital organs such as testicles, vas deferens, seminal vesicles... leading to male infertility. Complications due to gonorrhea are common in women including: anal inflammation, arthritis, meningitis, ectopic pregnancy, female infertility... Therefore, prevention of gonorrhea is very important to avoid these complications. dangerous complications.
Accordingly, to prevent gonorrhea, both men and women need to:
Use condoms, this is considered the only means to prevent gonorrhea, but it is not an absolutely safe method. Safe, faithful sex with your only partner. If you don't have a long-term monogamous relationship, you need to defend your own sexual practice as a practice. Do not share personal items with others, especially those in hotels, motels, public baths.... To prevent gonorrhea transmission from mother to child, women need to pay attention. gynecological health check before pregnancy and before giving birth. Having a scientific diet and activities helps the body maintain health and resistance to bacteria. General health check-up at least once a year, for people who have unprotected sex, they need to have regular check-ups every 6 months. Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has a social disease screening package for both men and women of all ages; people with risk factors such as having unprotected sex, getting tattooed or injecting drugs, being a patient who has had a blood transfusion or blood products; people doing certain occupations with risk factors such as: medical staff, barbers, tattooists,...; People with suspicious symptoms of sociopaths need to be examined.