Difference Between Chlamydia and Gonorrhea

Chlamydia vs Gonorrhea

Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) or Venereal Disease (VD), also known as Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI), has been around for hundreds of years. It is transmitted in humans through human sexual behavior, IV needles, breastfeeding, and childbirth.

An infected person may or may not manifest signs of infection but can carry the virus, bacteria, or parasite and can transmit these germs to others. While he may not acquire the disease, the person he may have transmitted the germs to can be susceptible to it and show symptoms of STD.

There are many types of STD that can be caused by several factors like:

Fungus, such as those in tinea cruris or jock itch and candidiasis or yeast infection.
Virus, such as those in viral hepatitis (Hepatitis A,B, D, and E), herpes Simplex, HIV, HPV (causes cervical and penile cancer), and molluscum contagiosum.
Parasites, such as crab, louse, and scabies.
Protozoa, such as trichomoniasis.
Bacteria, such as chancroid, granuloma inquinale, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.

While both chlamydia and gonorrhea are bacterial infections and are sexually transmitted, they have a lot of differences.

One difference is that chlamydia is caused by the chlamydia trachomatics bacteria which are found only in humans, and it is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. It causes infections in human genitals and eyes.

Gonorrhea, on the other hand, is caused by the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria. It is also a common disease that has an incubation period of 2 to 30 days. It can be transmitted through sexual intercourse, or a mother can transmit it to her child during childbirth. Symptoms in women include vaginal discharge, lower abdominal pain, and pain during intercourse. In men, symptoms include discharges from the penis and a burning sensation when urinating. If left untreated, it can cause epididymitis, prostatits, and urethritis in men. In women, it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, septic arthritis in the fingers, wrists, toes, and ankles. It can also lead to septic abortion in pregnant women and can affect the joints and the heart.

Almost 50% of people infected with gonorrhea are also infected with chlamydia. While gonorrhea causes pain when urinating, chlamydia does not. There is only a discharge from the penis. If left untreated, it can also lead to serious health problems.

There are no symptoms in a chlamydia infection, and the bacteria can linger for months before being discovered. Only then can an infected person feel the pain and discharges associated with most STDs. Once detected, chlamydia infection can be treated with antibiotics such as Azithromycin, Doxycycline, Tetracycline, and Erythromycin. Gonorrhea can be treated with Ofloxacin, Cefixine, and Ceftriaxone.

Summary:

1.Chlamydia is an infection caused by the chlamydia trachomatics bacteria while gonorrhea is caused by the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria.
2.Chlamydia symptoms are slow to manifest often taking months to show while gonorrhea symptoms show within a few days.
3.Both can be treated with antibiotics, but gonorrhea requires stronger and more potent medications than for chlamydia.
4.A person with gonorrhea usually also has chlamydia.

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