Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a bacterium called Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It can also be transmitted from pregnant mothers to their babies at birth.
Gonorrhea most commonly affects teens and young adults. Experts believe that hundreds of thousands of cases go undetected and untreated because the infection does not always have noticeable symptoms. Many people who have gonorrhea also have another common STD, chlamydia. So when doctors diagnose or suspect a case of gonorrhea, they often screen for and treat other STDs too.
Gonorrhea is preventable — and treatable — so anyone having sex (oral, anal, or vaginal) should take precautions against STDs and get screened for them regularly.
Gonorrhea can cause rectal pain, especially during a bowel movement. A sore throat can result from a gonorrhea throat infection.
If gonorrhea goes undetected and untreated, it can lead to more serious health problems. In males, it can cause scars inside the urethra, which can make urination difficult. In females, untreated gonorrhea can spread upward from the vaginal area to cause acute pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) — an infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries. It can lead to abscesses in the fallopian tubes and even infertility.
In males and females, gonorrhea that goes undetected can spread through the blood to parts of the body that are far from the reproductive organs, and lead to inflammation in the joints, the skin, the bones, tendons, heart, or even the area around the liver.
Gonorrhea most commonly affects teens and young adults. Experts believe that hundreds of thousands of cases go undetected and untreated because the infection does not always have noticeable symptoms. Many people who have gonorrhea also have another common STD, chlamydia. So when doctors diagnose or suspect a case of gonorrhea, they often screen for and treat other STDs too.
Gonorrhea is preventable — and treatable — so anyone having sex (oral, anal, or vaginal) should take precautions against STDs and get screened for them regularly.
Symptoms
Many times gonorrhea does not produce any symptoms. When there are symptoms, the infection can cause painful urination and a cloudy discharge from the penis or vagina. This discharge may be thick and may have a greenish-yellow color. Males may have swelling or pain of their testicles. Females may have lower abdominal pain, painful intercourse, and abnormal bleeding from the vagina.Gonorrhea can cause rectal pain, especially during a bowel movement. A sore throat can result from a gonorrhea throat infection.
If gonorrhea goes undetected and untreated, it can lead to more serious health problems. In males, it can cause scars inside the urethra, which can make urination difficult. In females, untreated gonorrhea can spread upward from the vaginal area to cause acute pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) — an infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries. It can lead to abscesses in the fallopian tubes and even infertility.
In males and females, gonorrhea that goes undetected can spread through the blood to parts of the body that are far from the reproductive organs, and lead to inflammation in the joints, the skin, the bones, tendons, heart, or even the area around the liver.
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