Gonorrhea and Chlamydia
Gonorrhea and chlamydia are two of the most common STDs and often occur at the same time. Both gonorrhea and chlamydia are transmitted through vaginal, anal, and sometimes oral sex. The providers at Capital Women's Care Howard County located in Fulton, Maryland, offer Gonorrhea and Chlamydia testing and treatment.
Symptoms of gonorrhea and chlamydia include:
An abnormal vaginal discharge
Frequent urination accompanied by a burning sensation
Pain or pressure in the pelvic area
Burning, itching, or redness in the vaginal area
Pain during or bleeding after intercourse or between periods
Both gonorrhea and chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can lead to infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain. Left untreated, gonorrhea can spread throughout your body and lead to arthritis, heart disease, and brain damage. Gonorrhea can also increase the transmission of HIV.
Antibiotics are used to treat gonorrhea and chlamydia. Your symptoms generally improve within 24 hours, but you can transmit both gonorrhea and chlamydia until you are completely free of infection. It is important that all sexual partners need to be tested and treated, even if they have no symptoms, to prevent becoming infected again. Also, having gonorrhea and chlamydia once does not prevent you from becoming infected in the future.