Sex may be pervasive in our popular culture, but conversations about it are still associated with stigma and shame in Indian households. As a result, most individuals dealing with sexual health issues or trying to find information about sex often resort to unverified online sources or follow the unscientific advice of their friends.
To address the widespread misinformation about sex, News18.com is running a weekly sex column titled ‘Let’s Talk Sex’. Through this column, we hope to start a conversation about sex and address sexual health issues with scientific insight and nuance.
In this article, we’ll discuss the effects of gonorrhea on fertility, as well as what you can do to prevent infection.
Gonorrhea is scary enough to think about. It is a disease that if not taken care of promptly can lead to serious complications, and can even lead to infertility in both men and women. But you don’t need to worry, there are steps you can take now to help protect your fertility and make sure you’re healthy and safe.
What is gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can have serious long-term health consequences if left untreated. Simply put, gonorrhea is a bacterial infection that is spread through unprotected sex or other close contact with an infected person. It can cause symptoms in men and women, with most people feeling a burning sensation when urinating or a discharge from their genitals. Other symptoms may include itching or swelling near the genitals or anus.
It’s important to note that gonorrhea can be asymptomatic – meaning you may not experience any symptoms. That’s why regular testing is recommended for anyone who has had unprotected sex or any other type of intimate contact with someone they don’t know to be infection-free.
Symptoms and Complications of Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea can cause some unpleasant symptoms, and it can lead to more serious complications if left untreated. While it may differ from person to person, here are some of the most common signs and symptoms that you should look out for:
painful urination: The main symptom of gonorrhea is pain when you urinate. It may feel like a burning or a sharp, shooting sensation. This can be accompanied by an increase in your frequency or urgency to urinate, as well as a pus-like discharge from your urethra.
Abnormal vaginal discharge: Women often notice an increase in vaginal discharge that is yellowish-green in color and has a strong odor. Other symptoms may include itching or burning around the vagina and painful intercourse.
Inflammation of the reproductive organs: In men, gonorrhea can cause inflammation of the epididymis (epididymitis), which is located behind your testicles. Symptoms include swelling and tenderness, as well as pain during ejaculation. Men may also experience a white or yellowish discharge from the tip of the penis or rectal area.
In women, gonorrhea can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which is inflammation of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and other reproductive organs caused by infection with bacteria such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae. PID causes cramps, abdominal pain, and fever, as well as abnormal bleeding between periods.
What You Need to Know About Gonorrhea and Fertility
Here are some things to know about how gonorrhea can affect your fertility:
This can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID): PID is an infection of a woman’s reproductive organs and can lead to infertility, chronic pelvic pain and ectopic pregnancy.
This can damage your fallopian tubes: If not treated early, gonorrhea can cause permanent damage to your fallopian tubes and make it difficult for an egg to travel into the uterus for fertilization.
It can cause infertility: Untreated gonorrhea can result in blockage of the fallopian tubes or other parts of the reproductive system, which can lead to infertility or infertility in both men and women.
Treatment Options for Gonorrhea
When it comes to treating gonorrhea, the sooner you catch it, the better. Here are some common treatment options that can be considered immediately:
- Antibiotics: Your doctor will recommend antibiotics or similar medicines based on your specific condition. Antibiotics work to kill the bacteria causing the infection, so make sure you follow your doctor’s instructions carefully and take antibiotics exactly as prescribed.
- Home remedies: In addition to seeing a doctor, you can also try home remedies to help treat gonorrhea such as oregano oil and tea tree oil for their antibiotic properties, as well as garlic for its antiviral properties. However, these home remedies should only be used when prescribed by a medical professional.
- Lifestyle changes: avoiding sexual contact, regularly changing bedding and clothing, taking hot baths with Epsom salts to reduce swelling, and drinking plenty of fluids, such as water or cranberry juice, to flush toxins out of your body There are ways to get rid of gonorrhea through natural methods like consuming. Body. Doing these things can help reduce symptoms and promote healing.
Tips to Prevent Gonorrhea and Protect Fertility
It is possible to save your fertility from gonorrhea if you take the right steps now. Here are some tips to get you started:
Practice safe sex: Practicing safe sex is essential if you want to protect your fertility. Since gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease, the best way to prevent it is to use condoms and reduce the number of sexual partners you have.
Get regular checkups: The best way to catch gonorrhea early is to get tested regularly. If you do not know your partner’s sexual history, it is especially important that you get tested before engaging in any type of sexual activity with them.
Know the signs and symptoms: It is also important to know the signs and symptoms of gonorrhea so that you can know when something is not right with your body or your partner’s body.
If you think you have gonorrhea, it’s important to seek medical help as soon as possible. If left untreated, your infection may progress, causing infertility and more serious health problems. Unfortunately, gonorrhea can be spread from person to person even when you don’t have symptoms, which is why it’s important to get tested regularly. So don’t let gonorrhea bring down your fertility; Act now before its too late!
Professor (Dr) Saransh Jain is a winner of the Swasth Bharat Ratna Award and is a certified and licensed sexologist by the American Board of Sexology. He is currently Senior Consultant at Dr SK Jain’s Burlington Clinic in Lucknow. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not represent the stand of this publication.
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