Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea
An infection caused by bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoea, considered primarily a sexually transmitted disease, but can also be transmitted to the newborn during the birthing process. Gonorrhea is one of the oldest known sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Gonorrhea is NOT transmitted from toilet seats. More than half of women infected with gonorrhea do not have any symptoms. If symptoms occur, they may include burning or frequent urination, yellowish vaginal discharge, redness and swelling of the genitals, and a burning or itching of the vaginal area. Untreated, gonorrhea can lead to severe pelvic infections in women. Complications in later life can include inflammation of the heart valves, arthritis, and eye infections. Gonorrhea can also cause eye infections in babies born of infected mothers. From 25 to 40 percent of women with gonorrhea are also infected with another bacterial STD, chlamydia. The treatment of gonorrhea is with antibiotics. It is of historical interest that in 1944 the US Public Health Service announced gonorrhea could be cured within 8 hours with penicillin. It is still an important public health problem.
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A contagious catarrhal inflammation of the genital mucous membrane, transmitted chiefly by coitus and due to Neisseria gonorrhoeae; may involve the lower or upper genital tract, especially the urethra, endocervix, and uterine tubes, or spread to the peritoneum and rarely to the heart, joints, or other structures by way of the bloodstream. [G. gonorrhoia, fr. gone, seed, + rhoia, a flow]

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gon·or·rhea or chiefly Brit gon·or·rhoea .gän-ə-'rē-ə n a contagious inflammation of the genital mucous membrane caused by the gonococcus called also clap
gon·or·rhe·al or chiefly Brit gon·or·rhoe·al -'rē-əl adj

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gon·or·rhea (gon″o-reґə) [gono-1 + -rrhea] infection due to Neisseria gonorrhoeae, usually a sexually transmitted disease; children in households with infected persons may become infected, and health care workers having contact with infected exudates may contract it. In males it is marked by urethritis with pain and purulent discharge, but in females it is commonly asymptomatic, although it may extend to produce suppurative salpingitis, oophoritis, tubo-ovarian abscess, and peritonitis. Bacteremia occurs in both sexes, resulting in cutaneous lesions, arthritis, and occasionally meningitis or endocarditis. gonorrheal adj

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • Gonorrhea — Gon or*rhe a, Gonorrhoea Gon or*rh[oe] a, n. [L. gonorrhoea, Gr. ?; ? that which begets, semen, the genitals + ? to flow: cf. F. gonorrh[ e]e.] (Med.) A contagious inflammatory disease of the genitourinary tract, affecting especially the urethra… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • gonorrhea — (n.) also gonorrhoea, 1520s, from L.L. gonorrhoia, from gonos seed (see GONAD (Cf. gonad)) + rhoe flow, from rhein to flow (see RHEUM (Cf. rheum)). Mucus discharge was mistaken for semen. In early records often Gomoria, etc., from folk etymology… …   Etymology dictionary

  • gonorrhea — or gonorrhoea [gän΄ə rē′ə] n. [LL gonorrhoea < Gr gonorrhoia < gonos, a seed, semen (see GONAD) + rhoia < rheein, to flow: see STREAM] an infectious venereal disease caused by gonococci, characterized by inflammation of the mucous… …   English World dictionary

  • Gonorrhea — The clap redirects here. For other uses, see Clap. Gonorrhea Classification and external resources …   Wikipedia

  • gonorrhea — gonorrheal, adj. gonorrheic, adj. /gon euh ree euh/, n. Pathol. a contagious, purulent inflammation of the urethra or the vagina, caused by the gonococcus. Also, esp. Brit., gonorrhoea. [1540 50; < LL < Gk gonórrhoia. See GONO , RRHEA] * * *… …   Universalium

  • gonorrhea — n. to catch, contract gonorrhea * * * contract gonorrhea to catch …   Combinatory dictionary

  • gonorrhea — noun Etymology: New Latin, from Late Latin, morbid loss of semen, from Greek gonorrhoia, from gon + rrhoia rrhea Date: circa 1526 a contagious inflammation of the genital mucous membrane caused by the gonococcus called also clap • gonorrheal… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • gonorrhea — (gon o re ah) An acute infectious sexually transmitted disease of the mucous membranes of the genitourinary tract, eye, rectum, and throat. It is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae …   Dictionary of microbiology

  • gonorrhea — noun /ˌɡɒn.əˈɹi.ə/ An STD caused by a species of bacteria (the gonococcus) that affects the mucous membrane of the genital and urinary tracts. Syn: clap …   Wiktionary

  • gonorrhea — Synonyms and related words: French disease, Spanish pox, VD, acquired syphilis, balanitis gangrenosa, cerebral tabes, chancre, chancroid, clap, claps, climatic bubo, congenital syphilis, constitutional syphilis, dose, dose of clap, fifth venereal …   Moby Thesaurus

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