Not receiving adequate treatment for gonorrhea may lead to complications. These may include :
- Inflammation of the epididymis. In men, epididymitis inflammation of the rear portion of the testicles where the sperm ducts are located (epididymis) is an acute condition treatable with antibiotics and pain relievers. If untreated, it may lead to infertility.
- Pelvic inflammatory disease. In women, the bacteria can spread into the uterus and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which may result in scarring of the tubes, greater risk of ectopic pregnancy and infertility. PID may lead to abdominal pain, backache, irregular menstrual periods, pain during intercourse and foul-smelling vaginal discharge. It's a serious infection that requires immediate treatment by a doctor.
- Spread of the infection during childbirth. A pregnant woman with untreated gonorrhea may spread the infection to her baby as the baby passes through the birth canal during delivery. In an infant, gonorrhea may cause complications such as blindness and widespread infection of the joints and blood.
- Anorectal gonorrhea. In both sexes, anorectal gonorrhea may result from anal intercourse with an infected person or from the infection spreading from the genital area. It may cause some discomfort in and discharge from the anal area, but in many cases no signs or symptoms are present.
- Irritation of your throat and tonsils. Oral sex can lead to pharyngeal gonorrhea with a sore throat, pain on swallowing and redness of the throat and tonsils.
- Eye inflammation. Infection may sometimes spread to the eye by touching or rubbing the eye with your hand after it has been in contact with infected discharge. Gonorrhea in such cases can cause a red, inflamed eye (conjunctivitis). In babies who contract gonorrhea during childbirth, gonorrheal eye infections can lead to blindness.
- Widespread infection in your body. Rarely, the bacterium that causes gonorrhea can spread through the bloodstream to cause infection in other parts of your body. Fever, rash, skin sores, joint pain, swelling and stiffness are possible results.
The above information thankfully comes from the Mayo Clinic.com at the following link.
