The pathogen of gonorrhea, Neisseria, was first isolated by Neisseria in 1879 as the gonococcus. Therefore, the gonococcus is also called Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The gonococcus is kidney-shaped, with two concave surfaces facing each other, consistent in size, about 0.7 micrometers long and 0.5 micrometers wide. It is a carbon dioxide-loving aerobic bacterium, gram-negative, and most suitable for growth in a humid environment with a temperature of 35°C and containing 2.5-5% carbon dioxide. It is often found within polymorphonuclear leukocytes, elliptical or spherical, usually arranged in pairs, without flagella, without capsule, does not form spores, and is susceptible to external physical and chemical conditions. It fears dryness the most and can die within 1-2 hours in a dry environment. It is easily lethal under high or low temperatures. It also has weak resistance to various chemical disinfectants.
The normal adult male urethra is 15-18 centimeters long. The mucosa of the fossa navicularis is composed of squamous cells, the anterior urethral mucosa is composed of columnar cells, and the posterior urethral and bladder mucosa is composed of transitional epithelial cells. The arrangement and layers of cells vary in their resistance to bacteria. The fossa navicularis consists of overlapping stratified squamous cells and has the greatest resistance to gonococci. The columnar cells of the anterior urethra are arranged in rows and have a single-layer structure. Once infected, bacteria can enter the submucosal layer through the cell gaps, causing severe lesions. The transitional epithelium of the posterior urethra and bladder trigone area is restricted by anatomical structures and cannot stretch freely, making it prone to invasion. The bladder wall, except for the trigone area which has great elasticity, allows the transitional epithelium to act as squamous cells, thus it is not affected by gonococci.
After men contract chronic gonorrhea, Neisseria gonorrhoeae moves backward along the male urethra, invading the bulbous, membranous, and prostatic parts of the posterior urethra, thereby causing chronic inflammation in these areas.
The symptoms of this condition are also inconsistent. In most cases, there are no special symptoms, and only when the patient's resistance decreases do symptoms of urethritis occur.
So how should men self-check for gonorrhea? During urination, there may be mild sensations of burning, stinging, itching, or urgent need to urinate in the urethra. Sometimes, severe pain in the prostate area may also be felt. There is no significant increase in urethral discharge; only in the morning upon waking up, there may be a "sealed mouth" phenomenon at the urethral opening. Sometimes, pressing on the perineum and prostate area may result in significant tenderness, radiating to the front end of the penis, sacrum, and testicles.
Experts remind that when prostatic or bladder inflammation is obvious, spasmodic painful urination often occurs at the end of urination, blood may be seen in the final segment of urine, and urinary obstruction may occur. If the lesion is limited to the urethra, it may cause painful ejaculation, bloody semen, or purulent semen.
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