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How can untreated gonorrhea lead to pelvic inflammatory disease?

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varicocele — reproductive system disease Varicocele, enlargement of the veins of the spermatic cord, is a cause of infertility in men.

Untreated gonorrhea can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) when the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria, which initially infect the uterine cervix, spread upward through the uterus into the fallopian tubes and ovaries.1

While many women may recover spontaneously from infections confined to the cervix, the extension of the bacteria into these upper reproductive organs causes the acute inflammation characteristic of PID. This condition is a serious health concern, as it can lead to complications such as the formation of abscesses, chronic pelvic pain, infertility, and an increased risk of ectopic pregnancies. Because the initial symptoms of gonorrhea in women are often mild or unnoticed, the infection may progress to PID before it is diagnosed and treated with antibiotics.12