Common Gonorrhea Q&A

What is gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD). The disease is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The gonorrhea bacterium can grow and multiply easily in warm, moist areas including the cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, urethra, mouth, throat, eyes, and anus.

Any sexually active person, man or woman, can get gonorrhea – even if they have had gonorrhae and received treatment before.

How common is gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea is a very common STD in the U.S. The CDC estimates nearly a million new cases of gonorrhea each year. Because gonorrhea often doesn't show any signs or symptoms, many people are infected without even realizing it. You should get an STD test for gonorrhea if you suspect an infection. If you have any signs or symptoms, abstain from having any kind of sex and see your doctor immediately.

Who is at risk for gonorrhea?
Any sexually active person can be infected with gonorrhea. In the United States, the highest reported rates of infection are among sexually active teenagers, young adults, and African Americans.

How can you get gonorrhea?

Gonorrhea can be passed from one person to another during any kind of sex or sexual activity, including vaginal, anal, or oral sex. It can also be transmitted from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth.

How is gonorrhea diagnosed?

Several tests are used to diagnose gonorrhea. Some can be performed on urine; other tests require a sample be collected from a site such as the cervix, urethra, rectum or throat.

How can I lower my risk for gonorrhea?

• The surest way to prevent gonorrhea is not to have sex or to have sex only with someone who’s not infected and who has sex only with you.

• Condoms and/or microbicide can reduce your risk of getting gonorrhea if used the right way every single time you have sex.

• Washing the genitals, urinating, or douching after sex will not prevent any STD.

What are gonorrhea symptoms?

For women, symptoms can include:

- abnormal vaginal discharge

- burning sensation when urinating

- bleeding between menstrual periods

For men, symptoms can include:

- a white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis

- burning sensation when urinating

- burning or itching sensation around the opening of the penis

- painful or swollen testicles

Individuals who have anal sex may get a gonorrhea infection in the rectum, which can cause rectal pain, discharge, itching, and bleeding. Throat infections may cause a sore throat and could easily be mistaken for cold symptoms.

When should I be tested?

If you are a Woman, you should be tested for gonorrhea if you have:

• Any symptoms, like pain or burning when you pass urine or vaginal discharge.

• A partner who has gonorrhea or symptoms that might be gonorrhea.

• Another STD, such as chlamydia.

If you’re pregnant, ask the doctor if you should be tested for gonorrhea.

If you are a man, you should be tested for gonorrhea if you have:

• A discharge from your penis. You may also feel pain inside your penis.

• Pain or burning when you pass urine.

• Itching, soreness, bleeding, or rectal discharge, if you have receptive anal intercourse.

• A partner that has gonorrhea or symptoms that might be gonorrhea.

• Another STD, such as chlamydia.

What complications can result from gonorrhea?

If untreated, gonorrhea infections can lead to serious health and reproduction problems. 

In women, an untreated infection can spread and may cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). The damage can lead to long-term pelvic pain, infertility (cannot have children), and dangerous ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the uterus).

In men, a gonorrhea infection can cause epididymitis (disease in the tube that carries sperm from the testis), causing pain, fever, and sterility (cannot have children).

Men and women with gonorrhea are more likely to get an HIV infection. Gonorrhea can also spread to the blood or joints and cause life-threatening conditions.

How Can I Prevent Spreading Gonorrhea?

If you have gonorrhea, there are several ways to prevent spreading it to other people. You can:

- Inform your sex partner(s) of the infection.

- Have no sex until treatment is complete.

- Be sure your sex partner(s) is/are tested and treated before having sex again.

- Once you are cured and start having sex again, use female or latex condoms every time you have vaginal or anal intercourse.

- Use a condom and/or microbicide or dental dam for oral sex.

Since a gonorrhea infection often has no symptoms, women and men who are at risk should ask to be tested regularly. Talk with your health care provider about how often you should be tested.

Is There a Treatment for Gonorrhea?

Yes. Gonorrhea is easy to treat. If you have gonorrhea, you will need to take an antibiotic. Health care providers usually prescribe a single dose of an antibiotic. Some gonorrhea infections, however, are resistant to certain types of antibiotics, so you may have to take more than one dose.

Pregnant women and teens should not be given certain antibiotics (specifically, ciprofloxazin and ofloxacin). Your health care provider will help you decide which is the best treatment for you.

Both you and your partner must be treated for gonorrhea before you have sex again. That way you can avoid becoming infected again. Some health care providers will give you medicine to take home for your partner(s).

People diagnosed with gonorrhea often have chlamydia as well. Your health care provider may treat you for both at the same time.