6.
How
is it treated?
In most cases, gonorrhea is easily cured by antibiotics. However, in recent years, drug-resistant strains of the bacterium have been found in many parts of the world, making the treatment more difficult. In any case, patients must follow the instructions of their doctor very carefully in order to make sure that, at the end, they are indeed free of the disease. Left untreated or insufficiently treated, gonorrhea can, over time, cause severe health problems in both females and males. Unfortunately, damage done to internal organs before the beginning of treatment cannot be repaired.7.
How can it be prevented?
Obviously, the best way to prevent infection with gonorrhea or any other STD is to avoid sexual contact with an infected partner. However, since not every sexually active person lives in a stable, exclusive relationship, and since some women are unknowingly infectious and have no symptoms, this advice may not be realistic in all cases. Anyway, those who know they are infected must immediately stop having sexual contacts until they are cured. They also must inform those whom they may have infected. For females without symptoms, but with several sexual partners, it may be a good idea to get tested at appropriate intervals, just in case. Newborn babies who may have become infected simply by having passed through the birth canal (the vagina), run the risk of blindness. They are therefore preventively treated with a drop of a silver nitrate or of an antibiotic solution in each eye.
One final reminder: In all casual sexual encounters a condom offers considerable protection if it is used correctly and consistently.
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