Gonorrhea Symptoms More Prominent In Men Than Women: 6 Gonorrhea Symptoms You Must Watch Out For

Gonorrhea symptoms are more prominent in men than women

Gonorrhea is one of the oldest sexually transmitted diseases. Generally, the symptoms of this condition include pink eye, painful urination, pain during sex, thick discharge and heavy periods. But did you know the symptoms of this condition are more prominent in men than women? Gonococcal gene expression has been compared for the first time in both men and women. This helped in better identification of the gender-specific signatures of the infection and antibiotic resistance in genes. The WHO reports reveal 78 million people across the globe deal with gonorrhea every year. Gonorrhea symptoms happen to be more obvious in men; which is not the case with women. Women usually are asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms. Both men and women, however, recover from the infection with antibiotics. For this, researchers observed a manifestation of the disease in the people of a country with the highest rates of gonorrhea and antibiotic resistance. Their analysis revealed that 9% gonococcal genes showed exclusive symptoms in men and only 4% showed the same in women. This proved that gonorrhea symptoms are more prominent in men than women.

Also read: 7 Signs And Symptoms Of Gonorrhea You Must Know

In order to diagnose gonorrhea in time, it is important to watch out for some signs and symptoms of this disease. Experts recommend patients to watch out for yellow, pus-like discharge on the penis.

Besides this, here's a list of 6 gonorrhea symptoms you must watch out for.

1. Burning sensation when you pee

Burning sensation when you pee is an important symptom of gonorrhea. It is an important symptom of urinary tract infections as well, but in some cases, it could be something else as well. Burning sensation when you pee could actually mean the presence of a sexually transmitted infection down there.

Also read: 4 Silent Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) You May Not Know You Have

2. Bleeding during or after sex

Inflammation down there, on the genital area and around the cervix can give you bleeding during or after sex. Experts say that during deep vaginal penetration can affect the inflamed tissues inside, thereby triggering bleeding. This could be due to a number of tissues inside, including gonorrhea.

Also read: 6 Things You Should Know About Sexually Transmitted Diseases

3. Thick discharge

The appearance of thick, yellow-colored discharge is an important gonorrhea symptom; this goes for both men and women. The amount of blood spotted in the discharge is definitive of the extent to which the infection has spread. Blood can either be cloudy or may be present in traces. Nevertheless, it could be an important gonorrhea symptom. It could also be a symptom of another health condition but getting diagnosed for gonorrhea should be your first instinct in this case.

4. An angry anus

Anal sex is one of the ways through which gonorrhea spreads. Therefore, its symptoms are likely to show up in the anal area. The infection could give you an inflamed rectum which is likely to hurt when you engage in sexual intercourse. It could also be accompanied with rectal discharge. These symptoms are likely to appear in both men and women.

Also read: Know All About These STDs Which Can Spread Through Oral Sex

5. Conjunctivitis

Surprisingly, gonorrhea can affect your eyes as well; and this can happen with both men and women. Conjunctivitis or pinkeye can appear in both men and women. If you catch conjunctivitis by just touching your eye once, there is a good chance that your finger transmitted the gonorrhea infection to your eyes which gave you pinkeye.

6. Pelvic pain

Not all forms of pelvic pains are due to menstrual cramps. Sometimes, it could be a gonorrhea symptom. This kind of pain does not go away with ibuprofen or Tylenol. If you are experiencing this, it is time for you to get diagnosed for gonorrhea.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.