Gonorrhea - CDC Fact Sheet

Anyone who is sexually active can get gonorrhea. Gonorrhea can cause very serious
complications when not treated, but can be cured with the right medication.
asic Fact Sheet | Detailed Version
Basic fact sheets are presented in plain language for individuals with general questions about
sexually transmitted diseases.
!hat is gonorrhea"
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (!D" that can infect both men and women. #t can
cause infections in the genitals$ rectum$ and throat. #t is a very common infection$ especially
among young people ages %&'() years.
#ow is gonorrhea spread"
*ou can get gonorrhea by having vaginal$ anal$ or oral sex with someone who has gonorrhea. +
pregnant woman with gonorrhea can give the infection to her baby during childbirth.
#ow can $ reduce my ris% o& getting gonorrhea"
!he only way to avoid !Ds is to not have vaginal$ anal$ or oral sex.
#f you are sexually active$ you can do the following things to lower your chances of getting
gonorrhea,
Being in a long'term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been
tested and has negative !D test results-
.sing latex condoms the right way every time you have sex.
Am $ at ris% &or gonorrhea"
+ny sexually active person can get gonorrhea through unprotected vaginal$ anal$ or oral sex.
#f you are sexually active$ have an honest and open tal/ with your health care provider and as/
whether you should be tested for gonorrhea or other !Ds. #f you are a sexually active man who
is gay$ bisexual$ or who has sex with men$ you should be tested for gonorrhea every year.
$'m pregnant. #ow does gonorrhea a&&ect my baby"
#f you are pregnant and have gonorrhea$ you can give the infection to your baby during delivery.
!his can cause serious health problems for your baby. #f you are pregnant$ it is important that
you tal/ to your health care provider so that you get the correct examination$ testing$ and
treatment$ as necessary. !reating gonorrhea as soon as possible will ma/e health complications
for your baby less li/ely.
#ow do $ %now i& $ have gonorrhea"
ome men with gonorrhea may have no symptoms at all. 0owever$ men who do have symptoms$
may have,
+ burning sensation when urinating-
+ white$ yellow$ or green discharge from the penis-
1ainful or swollen testicles (although this is less common".
2ost women with gonorrhea do not have any symptoms. 3ven when a woman has symptoms$
they are often mild and can be mista/en for a bladder or vaginal infection. 4omen with
gonorrhea are at ris/ of developing serious complications from the infection$ even if they don5t
have any symptoms.
ymptoms in women can include,
1ainful or burning sensation when urinating-
#ncreased vaginal discharge-
Vaginal bleeding between periods.
6ectal infections may either cause no symptoms or cause symptoms in both men and women that
may include,
Discharge-
+nal itching-
oreness-
Bleeding-
1ainful bowel movements.
*ou should be examined by your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms or if your partner
has an !D or symptoms of an !D$ such as an unusual sore$ a smelly discharge$ burning when
urinating$ or bleeding between periods.
#ow will my doctor %now i& $ have gonorrhea"
2ost of the time$ urine can be used to test for gonorrhea. 0owever$ if you have had oral and7or
anal sex$ swabs may be used to collect samples from your throat and7or rectum. #n some cases$ a
swab may be used to collect a sample from a man5s urethra (urine canal" or a woman5s cervix
(opening to the womb".
+ntibiotic'6esistant Gonorrhea
Can gonorrhea be cured"
*es$ gonorrhea can be cured with the right treatment. #t is important that you ta/e all of the
medication your doctor prescribes to cure your infection. 2edication for gonorrhea should not be
shared with anyone. +lthough medication will stop the infection$ it will not undo any permanent
damage caused by the disease.
#t is becoming harder to treat some gonorrhea$ as drug'resistant strains of gonorrhea are
increasing. #f your symptoms continue for more than a few days after receiving treatment$ you
should return to a health care provider to be chec/ed again.
$ was treated &or gonorrhea. !hen can $ have sex again"
*ou should wait seven days after finishing all medications before having sex. !o avoid getting
infected with gonorrhea again or spreading gonorrhea to your partner(s"$ you and your sex
partner(s" should avoid having sex until you have each completed treatment. #f you5ve had
gonorrhea and too/ medicine in the past$ you can still get infected again if you have unprotected
sex with a person who has gonorrhea.
1elvic #nflammatory Disease (1#D"
!hat happens i& $ don(t get treated"
.ntreated gonorrhea can cause serious and permanent health problems in both women and men.
#n women$ untreated gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (1#D". ome of the
complications of 1#D are
8ormation of scar tissue that bloc/s fallopian tubes -
3ctopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the womb "-
#nfertility (inability to get pregnant"-
9ong'term pelvic7abdominal pain.
#n men$ gonorrhea can cause a painful condition in the tubes attached to the testicles. #n rare
cases$ this may cause a man to be sterile$ or prevent him from being able to father a child.
6arely$ untreated gonorrhea can also spread to your blood or :oints. !his condition can be life'
threatening.
.ntreated gonorrhea may also increase your chances of getting or giving 0#V ; the virus that
causes +#D.