What is Male Gonorrhea?

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that can affect both males and females. When it affects a male, however, it is often referred to as male gonorrhea because it causes different symptoms in a man than it does in a woman. Gonorrhea, also known as the clap, is transmitted not only through vaginal intercourse, but also through oral and anal sex. This STD is caused by a bacterium called Neisseria gonorrhoeae and can cause such symptoms as sore throat, pain upon urination, urinary changes, and even kidney failure if left untreated. Fortunately, it can be treated with antibiotics and prevented with safe sex techniques.

Among the most obvious symptoms of male gonorrhea are those that involve a man’s urethra, which is the passageway through which urine exits a man’s body. Often, a man with gonorrhea feels pain when he urinates. In fact, this is often the first sign a man has that he has contracted the disease. He may also note a discharge from his penis that resembles pus. Sometimes a man may have swollen testicles as well.

Besides symptoms that affect the penis, a man may also have anal and oral symptoms. This depends on the sexual acts in which he has participated, however. For example, a man who has anal sex with an infected male may have itching in the anal area and note a discharge from his rectum. A person with male gonorrhea may also see spots of blood when he wipes the area with toilet tissue and strain in an effort to move his bowels. A man who has had oral sex with an infected partner may also experience a severe sore throat and swollen glands.

If a man is diagnosed with male gonorrhea, he will typically receive treatment in the form of antibiotics. In such a case, the affected male's sexual partners need treatment as well. If a man is treated, but his sexual partner is not, he may be reinfected through sexual activity with his partner. The antibiotics used to treat male gonorrhea may be administered via an injection or taken in pill form.

While antibiotics are effective as treatment for male gonorrhea, prevention is preferable for most people. Limiting one’s sexual partners and always using a condom during sex may help to reduce a person’s risk of contracting the STD. Asking sexual partners to be tested for gonorrhea may help as well. Additionally, avoiding sexual activity with any individual who has symptoms of an STD may help a person to avoid male gonorrhea.