Gonorrhea in pregnancy is a condition that needs to be watched out for, because the symptoms resemble pregnancy complaints in general. This is what makes the handling steps are often carried out too late, thus endangering the mother and the baby being born.
Gonorrhea or gonorrhea is a disease that can be transmitted through sexual contact, either vaginally, anal, or orally with an infected person. This disease is caused by a bacterial infection Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
These bacteria can live and thrive in warm and moist reproductive tracts, such as the cervix, uterus, and fallopian tubes or fallopian tubes in women. In addition to reproductive organs, bacteria N. gonorrhoeae It can also develop in the urethra or urinary tract, mouth, throat, and anus.
The Dangers of Gonorrhea in Pregnancy
In most cases, gonorrhea does not cause symptoms so that pregnant women are often not aware that they have been infected with this disease. Even if there are, the symptoms can resemble complaints that usually appear in pregnancy, such as vaginal discharge, bleeding, or blood spots appear.
If not treated immediately, gonorrhea in pregnant women can cause various pregnancy complications, such as:
- Miscarriage
- Pelvic inflammation
- Premature labor
- Amniotic infection or chorionamnionitis
- Premature rupture of membranes
- Ectopic pregnancy or pregnancy outside the uterus
In addition, untreated gonorrhea infection can make pregnant women more susceptible to sexually transmitted infections and increase the risk of uterine infection after childbirth.
The Dangers of Gonorrhea in Newborns
Women who are pregnant and have gonorrhea can pass the infection on to their babies during delivery. This can happen when the baby comes into contact with fluid from the mother's vagina. Symptoms of gonorrhea in infected infants usually appear 2–5 days after delivery.
Babies infected with gonorrhea can experience conditions such as low birth weight and eye infections.
If left untreated, gonorrhea in infants can lead to blindness. In addition, the infection can also spread to other organs of the body, resulting in infection of the blood, joints, and fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord or meningitis.
Gonorrhea Treatment
Pregnant women who are infected with gonorrhea or other sexually transmitted diseases during pregnancy are encouraged to get tested. The test is done during the first pregnancy checkup and during the last trimester of pregnancy. Not only pregnant women, their partners are also recommended to undergo an examination.
Gonorrhea can be treated with antibiotics which are safe to take during pregnancy. In addition, husband and wife who are undergoing treatment should not have sexual intercourse until the gonorrhea treatment is completely completed and both are declared cured.
Babies born to mothers with gonorrhea also need to be treated immediately to prevent the condition from getting worse. Treatment is generally done by giving antibiotics to infected babies.
If you are pregnant, do not hesitate or be embarrassed to consult a doctor about gonorrhea that you may be suffering from. Treatment that is done as soon as possible can reduce the risk of complications for mother and baby.
