Gonorrhea - female

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Female reproductive anatomy

Gonorrhea - female

Definition:

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (commonly known as "the clap") caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhea. See also gonorrhea - male.

Alternative Names:
The clap - female
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Gonorrhea is one of the most common infectious bacterial diseases and is most frequently transmitted during sexual activity, including vaginal intercourse and both oral and anal sex.

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Gonorrhea is a reportable disease and all state governments require that cases of diagnosed gonorrhea be reported to the health authorities (State Board of Health). This allows for adequate follow-up and testing of sexual contacts.

There are almost 400,000 cases of gonorrhea reported to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) each year in the United States. There are probably many cases that are treated but not reported.

The total number of cases is thought to approach 1,000,000; if unreported cases are included, some estimates reach 2,000,000. A rate of 400,000 cases per year means that 1 out of every 687 Americans has gonorrhea. A rate of 2 million means that 1 in every 130 Americans are infected.

Gonorrhea is more common in large metropolitan areas, inner-city areas, populations with lower overall levels of education and people with lower socioeconomic status. Gonorrhea is most prevalent in people 15 to 29 years old.

Risk factors include having multiple sexual partners, having a partner with a past history of any STD, and having unprotected sex (sex without the use of a condom).

Gonorrhea is easily transmitted during oral, vaginal, or anal sex. The bacteria can infect the throat, producing a severe sore throat (gonococcal pharyngitis). It can infect the vagina, causing irritation with drainage (vaginitis), or the anus and rectum, producing a condition called proctitis.

In addition, the organisms may spread up the female reproductive tract, through the cervix and uterus, into the fallopian tubes (the tubes that carry the egg from the ovaries to the uterus).

When the infection spreads into the fallopian tubes, the infection is called PID or pelvic inflammatory disease. This occurs in 10% to 15% of women with untreated gonorrhea. If the bacteria spreads beyond the fallopian tubes, it can spread into the abdominal space and cause a severe infection, peritonitis. The bacteria can also spread to the blood stream causing gonococcemia and may settle in a joint causing gonococcal arthritis.