Gonorrhea is the second most common Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) in Singapore. If left untreated, gonorrhea can cause complications including a higher risk of HIV infections, and infertility in men. It can be hard to discover you have gonorrhea if you do not go for STD testing at a clinic in Singapore, as some gonorrhea patients do not exhibit any symptoms. To help you better understand the infection, here are 3 quick facts about gonorrhea.
1. You may not develop noticeable symptoms after you have contracted gonorrhea.
10% of men and 50% of women do not experience any symptoms despite having contracted gonorrhea. This is why it is important to go for regular STD testing in Singapore clinics.
For men, these symptoms include urinating more often, a discharge (white, yellow or green) from the penis, pain in the testes, and a swelling at the opening of the penis. These symptoms typically show themselves a week after infection. Pain may spread if the infection is not treated.
For women, symptoms are even less noticeable. If they do develop symptoms, they can be mild or similar to other infections, such as vaginal yeast. Some symptoms that they exhibit include a watery, creamy or green discharge from the vagina, a burning sensation when urinating, fever, sharp pain in the lower abdomen, or pain when engaging in sexual intercourse.
2. The treatment for Gonorrhea can be a simple course of medicines.
While gonorrhea can cause a lot of pain, the treatment for this STD can be very simple.
If you suspect you have gonorrhea, visit an STD clinic in Singapore. There, healthcare providers can take a sample of the fluid from the problematic area, or draw blood for a test. Results should be available between 1 to 3 days.
If you do test positive for gonorrhea, your doctor will put you on modern antibiotics, which will help relief the pain tremendously within a few days. Antibiotics can also come in the form of a jab to the buttock.
There are no medicines that you can buy over-the-counter which will help treat a gonorrhea infection.
3. Preventing gonorrhea can be very easy
You get infected with gonorrhea when you have unprotected oral, anal and vaginal sex with another infected person. People who have multiple sexual partners at the same time are at higher risk of contracting gonorrhea and other STDs.
Gonorrhea tends to infect warm and moist areas of the body, which includes the urethra, vagina, anus and the female reproductive tract.
The best ways to protect yourself from a gonorrhea infection is, of course, abstinence. However, when that is not possible, do ensure that a condom is worn correctly whenever there is sexual contact. If there is no direct contact with the areas of infection, then the bacteria will not transfer.
It is also important to educate your sexual partner about STDs and get tested together. There is a lower risk of gonorrhea if you remain committed and monogamous with your sexual partner.
