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Gonorrhea
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Chlamydia
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Syphilis
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What is it?
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Gonorrhea is a sexually
transmitted disease
(STD). Gonorrhea is
caused by Neisseria
gonorrhoeae, a
bacterium that can grow
and multiply easily in the
warm, moist areas of the
reproductive tract,
including the cervix
(opening to the womb),
uterus (womb), and
fallopian tubes (egg
canals) in women, and
in the urethra (urine
canal) in women and
men. The bacterium can
also grow in the mouth,
throat, eyes, and anus.
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Chlamydia is a common
sexually transmitted
disease (STD) caused
by the bacterium,
Chlamydia trachomatis,
which can damage a
woman’s reproductive
organs. Even though
symptoms of chlamydia
are usually mild or
absent, serious
complications that
cause irreversible
damage, including
infertility, can occur
“silently” before a
woman ever recognizes
a problem. Chlamydia
also can cause
discharge from the
penis of an infected man.
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Syphilis is a sexually
transmitted disease
(STD) caused by the
bacterium Treponema
pallidum. It has often
been called “the great
imitator” because so
many of the signs and
symptoms are
indistinguishable from
those of other diseases.
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How is it
spread?
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Gonorrhea is spread
through contact with the
penis, vagina, mouth, or
anus. Ejaculation does
not have to occur for
gonorrhea to be
transmitted or acquired.
Gonorrhea can also be
spread from mother to
baby during delivery.
People who have had
gonorrhea and received
treatment may get
infected again if they
have sexual contact with
a person infected with
gonorrhea.
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Chlamydia can be
transmitted during
vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
Chlamydia can also be
passed from an infected
mother to her baby
during vaginal childbirth.
Any sexually active
person can be infected
with chlamydia. The
greater the number of
sex partners, the greater
the risk of infection.
Because the cervix
(opening to the uterus)
of teenage girls and
young women is not fully
matured
and is probably more
susceptible to infection,
they are at particularly
high risk for infection if
sexually active. Since
chlamydia can be
transmitted by oral or
anal sex, men who have
sex with men are also at
risk for chlamydial
infection.
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Syphilis is passed from
person to person
through direct contact
with a syphilis sore.
Sores occur mainly on
the external genitals,
vagina, anus, or in the
rectum. Sores also can
occur on the lips and in
the mouth.
Transmission of the
organism occurs during
vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
Pregnant women with
the disease can pass it
to the babies they are
carrying. Syphilis cannot
be spread through
contact with toilet seats,
doorknobs, swimming
pools, hot tubs,
bathtubs, shared
clothing, or eating
utensils.
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How is it
diagnosed?
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Several laboratory tests
are available to
diagnose gonorrhea. A
doctor or nurse can
obtain a sample for
testing from the parts of
the body likely to be
infected (cervix, urethra,
rectum, or throat) and
send the sample to a
laboratory for analysis.
Gonorrhea that is
present in the cervix or
urethra can be
diagnosed in a
laboratory by testing a
urine sample. A quick
laboratory test for
gonorrhea that can be
done in some clinics or
doctor’s offices is a
Gram stain. A Gram
stain of a sample from a
urethra or a cervix allows
the doctor to see the
gonorrhea bacterium
under a microscope.
This test works better for
men than for women.
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There are laboratory
tests to diagnose
chlamydia. Some can be
performed on urine,
other tests require that a
specimen be collected
from a site such as the
penis or cervix.
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Some health care
providers can diagnose
syphilis by examining
material from a chancre
(infectious sore) using a
special microscope
called a dark-field
microscope. If syphilis
bacteria
are present in the sore,
they will show up when
observed through the
microscope.
A blood test is another
way to determine
whether someone has
syphilis. Shortly after
infection occurs, the
body produces syphilis
antibodies that can be
detected by an accurate,
safe, and inexpensive
blood test. A low level of
antibodies will likely stay
in the blood for months
or years even after the
disease has been
successfully treated.
Because untreated
syphilis in a pregnant
woman can infect and
possibly kill her
developing baby, every
pregnant woman should
have a blood test for
syphilis.
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How is it
treated?
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Several antibiotics can
successfully cure
gonorrhea in
adolescents and adults.
However, drug-resistant
strains of gonorrhea are
increasing in many
areas of the world,
including the United
States, and successful
treatment of gonorrhea
is becoming more
difficult. Because many
people with gonorrhea
also have chlamydia,
another STD, antibiotics
for both infections are
usually given together.
Persons with gonorrhea
should be tested for
other STDs.
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Chlamydia can be easily
treated and cured with
antibiotics. A single
dose of azithromycin or a
week of doxycycline
(twice daily) are the most
commonly used
treatments. HIV-positive
persons with chlamydia
should receive the same
treatment as those who
are HIV negative.
All sex partners should
be evaluated, tested,
and treated.
Persons with chlamydia
should abstain from
sexual intercourse until
they and their sex
partners have completed
treatment, otherwise re-
infection is possible.
Women whose sex
partners have not been
appropriately treated are
at high risk for re-
infection. Having
multiple infections
increases a woman’s
risk of serious
reproductive health
complications, including
infertility. Retesting
should be encouraged
for women three to four
months after treatment.
This is especially true if
a woman does not know
if her sex partner
received treatment.
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Syphilis is easy to cure
in its early stages. A
single intramuscular
injection of penicillin, an
antibiotic, will cure a
person who has had
syphilis for less than a
year. Additional doses
are needed to treat
someone who has had
syphilis for longer than a
year. For people who are
allergic to penicillin,
other antibiotics are
available to treat
syphilis. There are no
home remedies or
over-the-counter drugs
that will cure syphilis.
Treatment will kill the
syphilis bacterium and
prevent further damage,
but it will not repair
damage already done.
Because effective
treatment is available, it
is important that
persons be screened for
syphilis on an on-going
basis if their sexual
behaviors put them at
risk for STDs. Persons
who receive syphilis
treatment must abstain
from sexual contact with
new partners until the
syphilis sores are
completely healed.
Persons with syphilis
must notify their sex
partners so that they
also can be tested and
receive treatment if
necessary.
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For more
information
regarding these
STD's, please
review the CDC's
Fact Sheet.
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Gonorrhea Fact Sheet
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Chlamydia Fact Sheet
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Syphilis Fact Sheet
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