Gonorrhea

Anyone who is sexually active can get gonorrhea. It is more common among teens and young adults. Many people who have gonorrhea don’t know it. Especially in women, the disease often has no symptoms. You can pass gonorrhea to others without knowing it. Gonorrhea is easy to treat and cure. If you do not treat gonorrhea, it can lead to serious health problems.

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Symptoms

You can get gonorrhea in the anus, eyes, mouth, throat, urinary tract or uterus (for women), or penis (for men). You may not notice any symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they will vary depending on what part of your body is infected.

CDC information on Gonorrhea symptoms

Who

Anyone who is sexually active can get gonorrhea. It is more common among teens and young adults.

CDC information on who is affected by Gonorrhea

Testing

A doctor or nurse obtains a sample for testing from the parts of the body likely to be infected (cervix, urethra, rectum, or throat) and sends the sample to a laboratory for testing.

CDC information on testing for Gonorrhea

Transmission/Prevention

Gonorrhea is spread through contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus. The surest way to prevent gonorrhea is not to have sex, to have sex only with someone who’s not infected and who has sex only with you, or to use condoms the right way every single time you have sex.

CDC information on transmission and prevention of Gonorrhea

Treatment

Gonorrhea can be treated and cured with antibiotics. If you do not treat gonorrhea, it can lead to serious health problems, such as infertility. All recent sex partners should be tested and treated.

CDC information on Gonorrhea treatment