Description
Neisseria gonorrhoeae RNA, TMA, Urogenital - Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonococci) is the causative agent of gonorrhea. In men, this disease generally results in anterior urethritis accompanied by purulent exudate. In women, the disease is most often found in the cervix, but the vagina and uterus may also be infected.Gonorrhea passes from person to person through unprotected oral, anal, or vaginal sex. People with numerous sexual partners or those who don’t use a condom are at greatest risk of infection. The best protections against infection are abstinence, monogamy (sex with only one partner), and proper condom usage. Behaviors that make a person more likely to engage in unprotected sex also increase the likelihood of infection. These behaviors include alcohol abuse and illegal drug abuse, particularly intravenous drug use.
Women are at greater risk of long-term complications from untreated infections. Untreated infection with gonorrhea in women may ascend up the female reproductive tract and involve the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. This condition is known as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and can cause severe and chronic pain and damage the female reproductive organs.When gonorrhea infection spreads to the bloodstream, both men and women can experience arthritis, heart valve damage, or inflammation of the lining of the brain or spinal cord. These are rare but serious conditions.
This test directly detects the presence of Chlamydia ribosomal RNA (rRNA). This test can be performed on either swab or urine specimens collected from men or women. It is based on transcription- mediated amplification (TMA). A positive TMA result is highly indicative of Chlamydia infection.A positive test indicates an active gonorrhea infection that requires treatment with a course of antibiotics.
A negative test means only that there is no evidence of infection at the time of the test. It is important for those who are at increased risk of infection to have screening tests performed on a annual basis to check for possible infection.If you are infected, your sexual partner(s) should also be tested and treated as well.
