Gonorrhea, also known as “the clap” in pop culture, is a sexually transmitted disease that is caused by a gram-negative diplococcus. This bacteria is known as Neisseria gonorrhoeae and can cause infections in men and women that may appear to be asymptomatic or symptomatic. The main symptoms caused by N. gonorrhoeae among both sexes includes abnormal penile/vaginal discharge and painful urination. Symptomatic men may particularly experience swollen testicles or pain in their gonads, while symptomatic women may experience abnormal periods of bleeding between menstrual cycles. Gonorrhea is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the United State, and receives this title for multiple reasons, including increasing antibiotic resistance and ease of transmission.
In my opinion, N. gonorrhoeae is one of the most intriguing sexually transmitted diseases as a result of its growing resistance to antibiotic treatments. According to Rubin et al. this bacterium quickly became resistant to both sulfonamide antibiotics and penicillin during the mid to late-1900s. The current recommended antibiotic treatment within the United States is an injection of ceftriaxone (a third-generation cephalosporin) with the combination of azithromycin (macrolide) in oral form. The long term efficacy of this regimen is not completely known, as in 2016 there were patients with multi-drug resistant N. gonorrhoeae infections that had low susceptibility to both of the antibiotics in the recommended treatment. The occurrence of these specific infections showcase the ability of N. gonorrhoeae to gain antibiotic-resistance through conjugation.
Another important aspect about Gonorrhea is that its transmittance cannot only just infect others who engage within sexual activities. In addition to this horizontal transmission between sexual partners, gonorrhea can also be spread through vertical transmission, which is the transmission of the disease from a pregnant mother to a newborn child during birth. The specific disease caused by this transmission between mother and child is called gonococcal neonatal opthalmia. Since this bacterium can be spread horizontally and vertically, prevention through the use of condoms, abstinence, and/or monogamous sexual relationships is vital for limiting the spread of an infection. Overall, I do believe that with proper resources and education about gonorrhea, and STDs in general, infections can be minimized through these proper measures.
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