5 Efforts to prevent gonorrhea to prevent the spread of the virus

Prevention of gonorrhea or gonorrhea can be done in simple ways, including being faithful to one of your sexual partners. Prevention of this disease is important to do to avoid symptoms and causes of infection that can interfere with your overall health. Check out the full explanation below about how to prevent gonorrhea (gonorrhea), let's go!

What are the steps to prevent gonorrhea?

Before discussing gonorrhea prevention, you need to know what gonorrhea is. Gonorrhea or gonorrhea is a type of infectious bacterial infection that generally attacks the urinary tract, rectum, and throat.

Especially in women, gonorrhea can also infect the uterus and reproductive system. Gonorrhea transmission generally occurs through sexual activity.

This is because the bacteria that cause gonorrhea live in the reproductive organs, rectum (rectum), mouth and throat. That is why, having sex with people who are already infected with gonorrhea can make you contract this infectious disease.

However, you don't need to worry because gonorrhea can actually be prevented. The following are gonorrhea prevention efforts that you must comply with:

1. Using a condom during sexual intercourse

Avoiding sexual intercourse is the most effective way to prevent gonorrhea. However, if you choose to have sex but want to prevent gonorrhea, make sure you use a condom.

Quoted from the CDC as the center for disease control and prevention in the United States, the use of male latex condoms can reduce the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, such as gonorrhea and HIV.

This is because in addition to preventing pregnancy, condoms also function to accommodate male sperm and pre-ejaculation fluids so that they do not enter the vagina directly.

However, you need to understand that condoms also cannot be considered as an absolute protection against sexually transmitted diseases.

2. Have sex with only one partner

The next prevention of gonorrhea is committed to sexual intercourse with only one partner (monogamy).

CDC defines monogamy as an agreement between you and your partner to be loyal to each other in any sexual activity.

In order to successfully take these steps to prevent gonorrhea, you must make sure that neither you nor your partner are infected with the bacteria that causes gonorrhea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae).

Therefore, it is important to have an open discussion about this with your partner.

3. Do not have sex with an infected person

Gonorrhea is easily transmitted through fluids in the genital area. That is why gonorrhea is very easily spread through sexual activity, whether vaginal, anal, or oral.

For this reason, you are advised not to have sexual relations with people who have been infected with gonorrhea because it can increase your risk of contracting this disease.

If your partner experiences obvious symptoms of gonorrhea, you should refrain from having sex with him.

4. Perform routine checks

Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, routine checks for sexually transmitted diseases are recommended for those of you who are sexually active and have more than one partner.

This is important because there are many people who do not realize that they are infected with a sexually transmitted disease because they do not experience symptoms.

Routine checks as a preventive measure for gonorrhea should be done once a year if you have the following criteria:

Women under 25 years of age and sexually active.
Women over 25 years of age and at risk of developing gonorrhea, such as having sexual intercourse with a new partner or more than one partner.
Have HIV / AIDS.
Forced to have sexual relations with other people.

The doctor will perform a gonorrhea examination with the following tests:

Urine test
Swab examination (swab) with samples from the throat and / or rectum
Test swab fluid inside the penis or vagina that is drawn through the male urinary tract or female cervix.

The sample will then be further examined in the laboratory. This routine check is important to detect diseases that do not cause symptoms.

5. Gargle with antiseptic after sexual intercourse

Apart from the aforementioned measures to prevent gonorrhea, recent findings suggest other means of prevention.

Over-the-counter antiseptic fluids are said to reduce the risk of gonorrhea if used after sexual intercourse.

In 2016, experts conducted laboratory tests on various oral cleaning fluids sold in stores. The clinical trials published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections have yielded interesting results.

The journal concluded that gargling with oral cleaning fluids after sex with a person who is already infected with gonorrhea can reduce the risk of contracting the bacterial infection.

This is because the active ingredients in oral cleaning fluids such as alcohol are able to kill most of the bacteria that cause gonorrhea in the mouth and throat.

According to the journal, your chances of contracting gonorrhea can decrease by 80% if you rinse your mouth with mouthwash after sex.

However, gargling, of course, cannot guarantee that you will not contract this gonorrhea. Take the steps of gargling below as an effort to prevent gonorrhea:

After you finish kissing or having oral sex, immediately clean your mouth and throat with oral cleanser.
Gargle thoroughly for at least one minute.
Make sure all corners of your mouth are washed, including your throat. However, don't swallow your mouthwash.
Simply gargle while looking up until your face stares at the ceiling of the room.
Discard the mouthwash and rinse again with plain water.

The spread of gonorrhea is very easy to happen. However, you can take the precautionary steps above to avoid the disease.

Don't hesitate to call your doctor if you experience any worrisome symptoms. Taking the right and fast gonorrhea treatment can help with symptoms if you have this disease.