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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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