A pox on your house! (My Experience of Gonorrhea)

Member Name: nikkisly

Product:	My Experience of Gonorrhea
Date:	19/03/01 (592 review reads)
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Right - stop sniggering! It may be embarassing to talk about sexually transmitted diseases, but it's for your own good.One more titter and you'll all be writing lines...

So, first of all, what qualifies me to talk about gonorrhea? I'm not a doctor and I even had to check how to spell it in the dictionary. (Even that wasn't exactly straightforward since there seem to be two recognised ways of spelling gonorrhea or gonnorrhoea - but then we're not here for a spelling lesson, are we? ) Anyway, I was unfortunate enough to actually contract this disease, so I can at least tell you a little bit about it which might just save you from an awful lot of problems in the future.

(By the way, from here on, I shall be taking my spelling from the Bantam Medical Dictionary, so if you have any arguments about it, take it up with them.)

What is gonnorrhea?

Sometimes known as "the pox" or "clap", gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhae, which affects the genital mucus membranes in both men and women.

What????!!!

The moist bits of the penis or vagina - whatever you like to call them.

How is it caught?

It is sexually transmitted, during vaginal, anal or oral sex. You cannot catch it from toilet seats, cups, crockery, kisses,hugs, handshakes or swimming pools or anywhere/anything else.

But you have to be promiscuous to catch it, don't you?

In a word, NO! I caught gonorrhea from my first ever sexual partner. You simply have to be unlucky enough to have sex with someone who is already infected.

So how do I tell if my partner is infected, then?

Simple - you can't.

What are the symptoms?

Approximately one week after infection, both men and women may experience pain on passing urine and have a discharge of pus (known as gleet) from the penis or vagina. BUT - and here's
the scary part - in women, menstruation may mask the symptoms and MANY WOMEN EXPERIENCE NO SYMPTOMS AT ALL and only realise they have been infected at a later date when they begin to experience complications as a result.

Complications....????

Yes, complications. In women, gonorrhea can cause infertility as the infection spreads around the reproductive system. In pregnant women, it can affect the baby's eyes as it passes down the birth canal. In men, it can lead to severe inflamation of the urethra which may ultimately prevent the passage of urine. In both sexes, it can lead to arthritis, inflamation of the heart valves and eye infections.

But I didn't think it was that serious...

It isn't if treated in the early stages, when it can usually be completely cured by taking a course of antibiotics. It is only if left untreated that more serious problems occur, but as the initial symptoms are usually not very dramatic - not to mention downright embarrassing - it is all too easy to assume that it has cleared up and gone away of it's own accord.

So, what can I do to prevent it?

Abstainence is by far the surest method of avoiding transmission, but, hey, we're living in the real world here. So, first and foremost, wear a condom, even for oral sex.

Second, get any unusual symptoms in the
" downstairs bathroom department" checked out immediately. Don't sit back waiting for it to go away - it may seem to have disappeared, but it won't have. It lurks, waiting to cause problems for you, your partner and any future sexual partners either of you may have.

But I'd be far too embarrassed to see my doctor....

Don't, then. Look in the telephone directory under G.U (Genital and Urinary) Clinics. (That's probably where your doctor would refer you anyway.) They're normally located at hospitals. Telephone them and arrange an appointment. You don't
need a letter of referral from your G.P. and their services are confidential and discreet.

So, what actually happens at these clinics?

Well, for a start, they specialise in treating sexually transmitted diseases (and other 'embarrassing problems'), so they've had years of practise at putting people at their ease. (At the clinic I attended, you were given a number on arrival, so your name wasn't even called out in the reception area.) Depending on your symptoms, they may take a blood test, may take a urine sample, may take a sample swab of genital mucus. With gonorrhea, the necessary tests can often be done there and then while you wait.

But won't they ask all sorts of embarrassing questions?

They will probably ask for a list of the names and addresses of your previous sexual contacts. I was given a straightforward choice of informing the person concerned myself within a set period of time (one week) or of electing for them to be sent a letter directly from the clinic.The letter stated that a previous sexual contact had been treated for an infection and advised the recipient to make an appointment for testing.Your name is not divulged. It is obviously a good idea for all previous sexual contacts to be notified, so be as honest as you can. The service is confidential and non-censorious.
You will most probably be given a course of antibiotics and advised to abstain from sex until you have finished the course and tested clear - and women should note that oral antibiotics may sometimes affect the efficiency of the contraceptive pill so they made need to abstain for a little longer.

Oh, and I should also mention that G.U. clinics will investigate and treat any sexual or urinary problems, not just gonorrhea.

Ooooh, this is really embarrassing! I cheated on my partner and now I think I might have caught something...

The clinics are not in the business of breaking up relationships, just of
stopping the onward transmission of infections. They will be discreet, but your partner will have to be tested - it's no good getting clear, then sleeping with a partner you may have already infected - or who may have infected you.

But I was only uncomfortable for a few days and I'm fine now....

No you're not. We've already been through this once. GET IT CHECKED!

So, what happened to you, then?

Well, I was married at the time I contracted gonorrhea, and completely monogamous. Except that my husband, unbeknown to me, wasn't monogamous.I had no symptoms of gonorrhea whatsoever. It was only when I developed salpingitis (a severe inflammation of the fallopian tubes which can cause scarring and eventually problems conceiving) that I was routinely tested and the test came back positive.

I was totally gobsmacked, but took a course of antibiotics, was re-tested and cleared. Simple as that - and painless too.

I elected to tell my soon-to-be ex husband myself. Not surprisingly, he tested positive, as did his girlfriend. They took the pills, were cleared and eventually married and had children.

There, that wasn't too embarrassing, was it? Be honest, this is the sort of thing you could even print out and pass on to your teenage son or daughter, isn't it?

And the moral of the story? Be responsible. Don't ignore any unusual symptoms - get them checked immediately.

Don't die of embarrassment...

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