Although the media may portray sex as a touchy topic, it is more than normal. However, in some cases, there are extreme consequences to intercourse. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are something people do not think about often before getting into bed with a partner. Many think that even when they do contract a disease, they can take a pill and everything will be okay. Unfortunately, many, if not most STDs, do not work that way. Take Gonorrhea, for example, which infects about 820,000 people in the United States each year, many of them being young adults aged 15-24.
Gonorrhea is caused by a bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which can spread in areas of the body that have been exposed during sex. However, these symptoms are not always noticeable. Many people that contract gonorrhea do not show symptoms until it is too late, which is what makes this bacteria so dangerous. Males may suffer from inflamed testicles, green or yellow discharge from the penis and painful urination. Females may suffer from bleeding while not on their period, burning eyes and painful urination as well. Gonorrhea can lead to the inability to become pregnant in women and liver infections in both genders.
The best way to stop these problems is to prevent them. Prevention methods include both sexual partners getting tested for STDs, being aware of all sexual partners and encounters and using your condom sense. Antibiotics may seem like an easy solution, but in reality, they are not as simple as one may perceive. Since most females that contract gonorrhea show zero to no symptoms, when they do realize they have an infection, it has already done damage to their reproductive system. Antibiotics may stop further harm to the body, but they can not repair its damaged areas. For males, it is easier to treat because symptoms tend to show earlier than those of females, so males can take action to avoid serious complications at a faster rate. However, gonorrhea has been showing resistance to antibiotics. The Center for Disease Control classified gonorrhea as an urgent threat saying, “[…] infections caused by these bacteria will likely fail empiric treatment regimens.” Prevention is key when it comes to gonorrhea.
Gonorrhea may not be the most life-threatening disease now, but if it continues to grow at its current rate, it could as well be. If people were to take STDs seriously, precautions coule be taken in their sex lives and doctors could potentially find an efficient antibacterial cure for gonorrhea. The more cases there are, the greater the chance the disease will grow immune to treatment. It is crucial for all men and women to get treated for STDs.
