Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea is a common bacterial STI that can infect the genital tract, mouth, or anus, and requires antibiotic treatment to prevent long-term complications.
Overview
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is most common in young adults. The bacteria can infect the genital tract, mouth, or anus. You can get gonorrhea during vaginal, oral, or anal sex with an infected partner. A pregnant woman can pass it to her baby during childbirth.
Symptoms
Gonorrhea does not always cause symptoms.
- In men: Can cause pain when urinating and discharge from the penis. If untreated, it can cause problems with the prostate and testicles.
- In women: Early symptoms are often mild. Later, it can cause bleeding between periods, pain when urinating, and increased vaginal discharge. If untreated, it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which causes problems with pregnancy and infertility.
Diagnosis & Treatment
Your health care provider will diagnose gonorrhea with lab tests. Treatment is with antibiotics. Treating gonorrhea is becoming more difficult because drug-resistant strains are increasing.
Prevention
Correct usage of latex condoms greatly reduces, but does not eliminate, the risk of catching or spreading gonorrhea. If you or your partner is allergic to latex, you can use polyurethane condoms. The most reliable way to avoid infection is to not have anal, vaginal, or oral sex.