Gonorrhea

Every year, nearly 9 million people under the age of 25 get a new STI (sexually transmitted infection).¹ One of these infections is gonorrhea. If you've had sex, you could have an STI. Some STIs cause symptoms. Others don't. You could have one and not know it. Some STIs make you sick today and others cause problems later in life. These include serious problems like cancer or infertility. Some can even kill you.

What is gonorrhea and how do you get it?
Gonorrhea is the second most common bacterial STI.¹ You get it from having sex with an infected person. Babies can get it from their mothers during childbirth. Although most infected people have no symptoms, they can still pass on gonorrhea.

Am I safe if I only have oral or anal sex?
Gonorrhea can also be passed during oral^2,3 or anal^2,4 sex.

What happens if I'm infected?
If you are like most people, you will have no symptoms at all. On the other hand, you could have symptoms such as pain when going to the bathroom or a "discharge" coming from the penis or vagina. If you are a female, you may have abdominal pain. This could be from pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), caused by gonorrhea. PID can interfere with your ability to get pregnant.⁵ Untreated infection can damage your joints, heart or brain. Gonorrhea also increases your chance of getting HIV.

How do you treat gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea can be treated with antibiotics. Delayed treatment can result in serious problems. Both you and your partner must be treated.

Am I safe if I always use a condom? If you always use condoms for vaginal sex, you can cut your chance of getting gonorrhea by about half.^6,7 Condoms may also reduce your chance of getting gonorrhea during oral sex.⁸ So far, there is no evidence that condoms reduce your chance of getting gonorrhea during anal sex.

What can I do to avoid getting infected?

References
1 Weinstock H, Berman S, Cates W Jr. Sexually transmitted diseases among American youth: incidence and prevalence estimates, 2000. Perspect Sex Reprod Health; 2004;36(1):6-10.
2 Hook EW, Handsfield HH. Gonococcal infections in the adult. In: Holmes KK, Mardh PA, Sparling PF, et al., eds. Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 3rd ed. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, Co; 1999:451-466.
3 Edwards S, Carne C. Oral sex and transmission of non-viral STIs. Sex Transm Infect. 1998 Apr;74(2):95-100.
4 Manavi K, McMillan A, Young H. The prevalence of rectal chlamydial infection amongst men who have sex with men attending the genitourinary medicine clinic in Edinburgh. Int J STD AIDS. 2004 Mar;15(3):162-4.
5 Westrom L, Eschenbach D. Pelvic inflammatory disease. In: Holmes KK, et al, eds. Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1999:783-809.
6 Ahmed S, Lutalo T, Wawer M, et al. HIV incidence and sexually transmitted disease prevalence associated with condom use: a population study in Rakai, Uganda. AIDS. 2001;15(16):2171-2179.
7 Baeten JM, Nyange PM, Richardson BA, et al. Hormonal contraception and risk of sexually transmitted disease acquisition: results from a prospective study. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2001;185(2):380-385.
8 Wong ML, Chan RK. A prospective study of pharyngeal gonorrhoea and inconsistent condom use for oral sex among female brothel-based sex workers in Singapore. Int J STD AIDS. 1999;10(9):595-599.

Authored by: Sheetal Malhotra, MBBS, MS
Date: May 2007
Reviewed by: Jennifer A. Shuford, MD, MPH
Date: July 2009