Gonorrhea - Male

Treatment:

There are two aspects of treating a sexually-transmitted disease, especially one as easily spread as gonorrhea. The first aspect is to cure the affected person. The second is to locate and test all of the other sexual contacts and to treat them to prevent further spread of the disease. Mandatory reporting has, until recently, held the number of cases of gonorrhea at a low level. However, the incidence is rising.

Beginning about the time of the Viet Nam war, the United States encountered penicillin- and tetracycline-resistant strains of gonorrhea. These resistant strains have been increasing over the last few years. Because of this, a new standardized treatment regimen has now been recommended by the Centers for Disease control (CDC). Instead of the standard penicillin treatment, gonorrhea is now treated by a large number of new and very potent antibiotics.

This treatment regimen includes:

• ceftriaxone, 125 mg (milligrams) injected into a muscle, one time
• cefixime, 400 mg by mouth, one time
• ciprofloxacin - oral, 500 mg by mouth, one time
• ofloxacin - oral, 400 mg by mouth, one time
• Spectinomycin, 2 grams injected into a muscle, one time
• cefuroxime Axotal, 1 gram by mouth, one time
• cefpodoxime proxetil, 200 mg by mouth, one time
• enoxacin, 400 mg given by mouth, one time
• erythromycins - oral, 500 mg by mouth, four times a day for one week

It is important to see your health care provider for a follow-up visit 7 days after treatment to recheck cultures and confirm the cure of infection.

Expectations (prognosis):

When gonorrhea is treated immediately upon onset, the outcome is likely to be good, meaning that no permanent scarring of the urethra will take place and spread of the infection to other areas of the body will not occur. When treatment is delayed there is a greater likelihood of complication.

Complications:

Untreated gonorrhea may spread to other parts of the body causing disseminated infection. The following is a list of possible complications:

• periurethral abscess
• gonococcal arthritis
• gonococcal pharyngitis
• gonococcal conjunctivitis
• infection or inflammation of the male reproductive system
  • epididymitis
  • prostatitis
  • seminal vesiculitis
  • cowperitis

Calling your health care provider:

If you have symptoms suggestive of gonorrhea you should call your health care provider immediately. If you are short of funds or uninsured, state-sponsored Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinics will diagnose and treat STDs without charge. Using a state-sponsored clinic allows the state to keep accurate statistics on the number of cases, and to treat other infected contacts who would otherwise spread the disease.

If you have engaged in high risk sexual practices (multiple partners, unknown partners, high risk partners, and similar practices), you should be periodically examined to detect the presence of asymptomatic disease and for STDs other than gonorrhea.