Gabrielle A.

Catalan November 18, 2015

2013-14286
PH 121 lab
Gonorrhea: Give it a Clap

The reproductive organs of both male and female are used in producing an offspring, for
the continuity of life. In males, the sperm-producing testes, or male gonads, lie within the
scrotum. The scrotum is a sac of skin and superficial fascia that hands outside the abdominopelvic
cavity at the root of the penis. From the testes, the sperm are delivered to the exterior of the
body through a system of ducts including the epididymis, the ductus deferens, the ejaculatory
duct, and finally the urethra, which opens to the outside to the tip of the penis. The penis is a
copulatory organ that is designed to deliver sperm into the female reproductive tract. The penis,
together with the scrotum, make up the external genitalia of the male. In males, the urethra is
the terminal potion of the male duct system. It serves both urinary and reproductive systems. In
females, the role of the reproductive system is much more complex than that of the male.
Ovaries, or the female gonads are the primary reproductive organ of the female. The female also
has a duct system. The female duct system is made up of the fallopian tubes, the uterus, and the
vagina. The fallopian tubes form the initial part of the female duct system and receive the
ovulated oocyte. They are the site where fertilization usually occurs. The uterus, located at the
pelvis, anterior to the rectum and posterosuperior to the bladder, is a hollow, thick-walled,
muscular organ that receives, retains, and nourishes a fertilized ovum. The vagina is a thin-walled
tube that is 8-10 centimeters long. It is found between the bladder and the rectum, and extends
from the cervix to the body exterior. It is often called the birth canal, since it provides passage
for delivery of an infant and for menstrual flow. And because it receives the penis during sexual
intercourse, it is the female organ of copulation. But what if these organs get affected by sexually
transmitted diseases?

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections that one can get by having sexual
intercourse with another person carrying the disease. STDs are caused by bacteria, parasites, and
viruses. One type of sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacteria is Gonorrhea. Gonorrhea,
also called clap or drip, is a contagious disease that is transmitted through sexual contact. It
is termed the clap because it was once believed that clap refers to the old French term,
clapier, which means brothel. Before, gonorrhea was easily spread through these places.
Another theory on why it is called the clap is because of how it was treated before. To treat
gonorrhea, it involved slamming a heavy book or any object down the penis so that the discharge
 would come out. However, this treatment is entirely wrong.
Gonorrhea is infectious to both men and women, and are very
common in young people with ages 15-24 years old.
Gonorrhea is caused by a bacteria called Neisseria
gonorrheae. This bacterium can grow and multiply in mucus
membranes of the body, and can grow in warm, moist areas
of the reproductive tract. The bacterium may grow in the
cervix, uterus, and fallopian tubes in women, and in the
urethra in both men and women. The affected areas of gonorrhea are the reproductive organs
of both male and female. The bacterium may also grow in the mouth and throat due to oral sex,
and the anus due to anal sex, this type of gonorrhea is then called extragenital gonorrhea since
it is found outside the urogenital organs.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are as many as
700,000 new cases each year, and less than half of them reported to CDC. Sexually active
teenagers have one of the highest rates of reported infections. Women with gonorrhea usually
have symptoms that include pain in the lower abdominal or pelvic area, conjunctivitis, bleeding
between periods, spotting after intercourse, and swelling of the vulva. However, most women
with gonorrhea do not have any symptoms. Even when a woman have symptoms, they are often
mild and can be mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection. Some men with gonorrhea may not
have symptoms at all. However, men who do have gonorrhea may experience painful or swelling
testicles. Both men and women who have gonorrhea experience a greenish yellow or whitish
discharge from the penis or vagina, burning sensation when urinating, burning of the throat and
swollen glands in the throat due to oral sex. Symptoms often occur within 2 to 10 days after
exposure. Gonorrhea can also be spread by contact with infected bodily fluids, therefore, a
pregnant woman can pass on the infection to her newborn baby during childbirth.

Once the symptoms are felt, a patient should immediately see a doctor for an
examination. For the diagnosis of gonorrhea, the doctor will conduct a physical examination.
He/she will look for tenderness in the womans area of sex organs, and a pus-filled discharge
from the vagina or penis, along with a high white-blood cell count and fever. These could indicate
an infection. The doctor will also have to collect samples. Most of the time, urine can be used to
test for gonorrhea. However, if one had oral sex or anal sex, swabs may be used for collecting the
samples from the throat or rectum. In some cases, a swab may be used to collect a sample from
the urethra of a male or the cervix of a female. Since gonorrhea is caused by a bacteria, it
can be treated using antibiotics. Previously, a class of antibiotics known as the fluoroquinolones,
like ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and levofloxacin, was widely used in the treatment of gonorrhea.
However, because of the increasing resistance of Neisseria gonorrheae to the fluoroquinolones,
the CDC now recommends that only one class of antibiotics, called the cephalosporins, be used
to treat gonorrheal infections. Gonorrhea on pregnant women can cause serious trouble. It can
cause premature delivery or spontaneous abortion. The infected mother can give the infection
to her baby as soon as the infant passes through the birth canal during delivery. The infection can
cause blindness, joint infection, or a life-threatening blood infection in the baby. Pregnant
women with gonorrhea should be treated as soon as it is detected, in order to reduce the risk of
these complications. According to CDC, a person treated with gonorrhea can start having sex, a
week after finishing all medications. To avoid reinfection or spreading of the disease to the other
person, the couple or sex partners should avoid having sex until each have completed the
treatment. Failure to get treated leads to serious complications like permanent problems for both
men and women. In women if gonorrhea is left untreated, can cause pelvic inflammatory disease
that can damage the fallopian tubes or even lead to infertility. An untreated gonorrhea infection
can heighten the risk of ectopic pregnancy, a condition in which the fertilized egg develops
outside the uterus. In men untreated gonorrhea can cause epididymitis, a painful condition of
the testicles that can sometimes cause a man to be sterile. Untreated gonorrhea in men can also
affect the prostate and can lead to scarring inside the urethra, making it hard to urinate.
Gonorrhea can also spread to the blood or joints, which can be life-threatening. Untreated
gonorrhea can also increase the risk of getting HIV, a virus that causes AIDS. People with HIV and
gonorrhea are more likely to transmit HIV to someone else than people with HIV alone.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. A person can reduce the risk of getting
STDs by preventing it. Gonorrhea can be prevented by using condoms correctly when having
sexual intercourse. Also, by limiting the number of sex partners, and avoid going back and forth
between partners. The practice of sexual abstinence or avoiding sexual contact with a person
infected with gonorrhea can also prevent the risk of having the infection. The practice of safe sex
should always be applied. And one should always be loyal to his/her partner in order to avoid
getting gonorrhea or any other sexually transmitted diseases.
References:

Gonorrhea - CDC Fact Sheet . (2015, October 14). Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/std/gonorrhea/stdfact-gonorrhea.htm
Gonorrhea. (2014, September 8). Retrieved from WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/sexual-
conditions/guide/gonorrhea?page=3
Gonorrhea and the Clap: The Slap Down Treatment. (2010, September 17). Retrieved from
PLOS: http://blogs.plos.org/neuroanthropology/2010/09/17/gonorrhea-and-the-clap-
the-slap-down-treatment/
Gonorrhea Medications and Treatment. (2015, August 8). Retrieved from emedicinehealth:
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/gonorrhea/page7_em.htm
Marieb, E. (2013). Human Anatomy and Physiology, 9th ed. Glenview, IL: Pearson Education,
Inc.
Neisseria gonorrhoeae: disease, pathogenesis and laboratory diagnosis. (2013, June 10).
Retrieved from microbeonline: http://microbeonline.com/neisseria-gonorrhoeae-
properties-disease-pathogenesis-and-laboratory-diagnosis/