Gonorrhea: Women are susceptible

Gonorrhea - an infectious ailment — is also known among the common man as ‘the clap’. Gonorrhea is a widely spreading form of a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

Gonorrhea spreads widely mainly among the sexually active young adults and teenagers. In USA, this is particularly so among the African Americans.

THE VULNERABLE WOMEN REPRODUCTIVE TRACT

The reproductive tract of women is made up of the following parts: the egg canals (fallopian tubes), womb (uterus), and the opening to the womb (cervix). All these moist portions of the female body are vulnerable to the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

CAN GONORRHEA AFFECT A PREGNANT WOMAN OR HER BABY?

The answer is ‘Yes’. Gonorrhea does affect a pregnant woman and her baby!

Pregnancy is a state that is really sensitive simply because many of the ailments of the mother are passed on to the yet-to-be born baby. In simple words, the womb gets vitally weak, and the fetus becomes vulnerable to many sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and even sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) ailments that the mother suffers from.

In such cases, the infection or disease gets transmitted as the baby passes via the birth canal during the delivery process. The baby may suffer from infection of the joints and even go blind totally. And in extreme instances, the baby may be left with a life-threatening infection of his/her blood.

Hence there is a need for detection of gonorrhea in the initial stages of the pregnant woman. This will greatly cut down the risk of such complications in the baby. The right medical examination, necessary testing, and follow-up treatment are mandatory. Else the lives of not just the yet-to-be born baby but even the mother may be at stake.

GONORRHEA SPREADING FAST

Annually, 800,000 Americans are affected by infections typically diagnosed as gonorrhea. The gravity of the situation can be gauged from the fact that this is just the tip of the iceberg - it is merely 50 % of the actual cases that are reported to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Many do not report and remain unregistered.

There was a significant decline in the incidences of gonorrhea in America during the 22-year period from 1975 to 1997. This was the direct positive fallout of the 1970 National Gonorrhea Control Program. The point to be noted is that though cases of gonorrheal cases stayed constant since 1977, yet the number of cases affected by gonorrhea as recorded by the CDC in 2006 was above the expected results: It was 120.9 per 100,000 persons. That year, 358,366 gonorrhea cases were registered with the CDC.

One can contact CDC at ‘1600 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30333, U.S.A’. The contact numbers are a) 1-888-232-6348 (TTY) and
b)1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636).

There can be many serious complications arising from gonorrheal infections. The patient weakens or the immune system may suffer permanent disability.