What type of disease is gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is a very common infectious disease. CDC estimates that approximately 1. Gonorrhea is transmitted through sexual contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus of an infected partner. Ejaculation does not have to occur for gonorrhea to be transmitted or acquired. Gonorrhea can also be spread perinatally from mother to baby during childbirth.

People who have had gonorrhea and received treatment may be reinfected if they have sexual contact with a person infected with 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 2.

Many men with gonorrhea are asymptomatic 3 , 4. When present, signs and symptoms of urethral infection in men include dysuria or a white, yellow, or green urethral discharge that usually appears one to fourteen days after infection 5.

In cases where urethral infection is complicated by epididymitis, men with gonorrhea may also complain of testicular or scrotal pain. Most women with gonorrhea are asymptomatic 6 , 7. Even when a woman has symptoms, they are often so mild and nonspecific that they are mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection 8 , 9.

The initial symptoms and signs in women include dysuria, increased vaginal discharge, or vaginal bleeding between periods. Women with gonorrhea are at risk of developing serious complications from the infection, regardless of the presence or severity of symptoms. Symptoms of rectal infection in both men and women may include discharge, anal itching, soreness, bleeding, or painful bowel movements Rectal infection also may be asymptomatic.

Pharyngeal infection may cause a sore throat, but usually is asymptomatic 11 , In women, gonorrhea can spread into the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease PID. The symptoms may be quite mild or can be very severe and can include abdominal pain and fever PID can lead to internal abscesses and chronic pelvic pain.

PID can also damage the fallopian tubes enough to cause infertility or increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy. In men, gonorrhea may be complicated by epididymitis. In rare cases, this may lead to infertility If left untreated, gonorrhea can also spread to the blood and cause disseminated gonococcal infection DGI. This condition can be life threatening. If a pregnant woman has gonorrhea, she may give the infection to her baby as the baby passes through the birth canal during delivery. This can cause blindness, joint infection, or a life-threatening blood infection in the baby Treatment of gonorrhea as soon as it is detected in pregnant women will reduce the risk of these complications.

Pregnant women should consult a health care provider for appropriate examination, testing, and treatment, as necessary. Anyone with genital symptoms such as discharge, burning during urination, unusual sores, or rash should stop having sex and see a health care provider immediately.

Also, anyone with an oral, anal, or vaginal sex partner who has been recently diagnosed with an STD should see a health care provider for evaluation. You may not experience signs or symptoms that prompt you to seek medical attention. But without treatment, you can reinfect your partner even after he or she has been treated for gonorrhea.

Gonorrhea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The gonorrhea bacteria are most often passed from one person to another during sexual contact, including oral, anal or vaginal intercourse. Sexually active women younger than 25 and men who have sex with men are at increased risk of getting gonorrhea.

Consider regular gonorrhea screening. Annual screening is recommended for sexually active women younger than 25 and for older women at increased risk of infection.

This includes women who have a new sex partner, more than one sex partner, a sex partner with other partners, or a sex partner who has a sexually transmitted infection.

To avoid getting gonorrhea again, abstain from sex until after you and your sex partner have completed treatment and after symptoms are gone. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

This content does not have an English version. Having a gonorrhea infection that was cured does not protect you from getting it again. If you are treated and your sex partner is not, you probably will get it again. Finding out that you have an STI may make you feel bad about yourself or about sex. Counseling or a support group may help you feel better. Gonorrhea is spread during vaginal, anal, or oral sex with an infected partner. A pregnant woman may pass the infection to her newborn during delivery.

Gonorrhea can be transmitted at any time by a person who is infected with the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae , whether or not symptoms are present. A person who is infected with gonorrhea is always contagious until he or she has been treated.

Having a gonorrhea infection once does not protect you from getting another infection in the future. A new exposure to gonorrhea will cause reinfection, even if you were previously treated and cured. It is fairly common for gonorrhea to cause no symptoms, especially in women. The incubation period, the time from exposure to the bacteria until symptoms develop, is usually 2 to 5 days.

But sometimes symptoms may not develop for up to 30 days. In women, the early symptoms are sometimes so mild that they are mistaken for a bladder infection or vaginal infection. Symptoms may include:. In men, symptoms are usually obvious enough that they will cause a man to seek medical treatment before complications occur. But some men have mild or no symptoms and can unknowingly transmit gonorrhea infections to their sex partners.

Disseminated gonococcal infection DGI occurs when the gonorrhea infection spreads to sites other than the genitals, such as the joints, skin, heart, or blood. Symptoms of DGI include:. Gonorrhea causes no long-term problems if it is treated early in the course of the infection before any complications develop.

Left untreated, gonorrhea can lead to serious complications. Women with untreated gonorrhea may have the following complications of the female reproductive system:. Women with untreated gonorrhea and infected newborns are more likely to develop long-term complications of gonorrhea. Complications of DGI include:. Because many women do not have early symptoms of gonorrhea that cause them to seek treatment, they are more likely than men to have more serious complications from gonorrhea spreading to other parts of the body.

Any child with gonorrhea needs to be evaluated by a doctor to find out the cause and to assess for possible sexual abuse. Untreated gonorrhea can lead to many complications. Call your doctor to find out when an evaluation is needed if you have the following symptoms. Call your doctor or clinic if you have unprotected sex with someone who has, or who you think may have, a sexually transmitted infection. Watchful waiting is a period of time during which you and your doctor observe your symptoms or condition without using medical treatment.

Watchful waiting is not appropriate for a gonorrhea infection. But untreated gonorrhea can lead to many complications. Avoid sexual contact until you have been examined by your doctor so that you will not infect someone else. If you know you have been exposed to gonorrhea, both you and your sex partner s must be treated. You need treatment even if you don't have symptoms. If you are unable to contact your sex partners or you are uncomfortable doing so, health departments and sexually transmitted infection STI clinics can help with this process.

Low-cost diagnosis and treatment of gonorrhea is usually available at local health departments and family planning clinics, such as Planned Parenthood. Some people are not comfortable seeing their usual doctor for sexually transmitted infection treatment. Most counties have confidential clinics for diagnosing and treating gonorrhea and other sexually transmitted infections. Diagnosis of gonorrhea includes a medical history and a physical exam. Your doctor may ask you the following questions.

Several gonorrhea tests can be used to detect or confirm an infection. Your doctor will collect a sample of body fluid or urine to be tested for gonorrhea bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Most tests give results within a few days. Other sexually transmitted infections may be present with a gonorrhea infection. Your doctor may recommend testing for:. In the United States, your doctor must report to the state health department that you have gonorrhea.

The U. You may want to consider being tested once a year for gonorrhea even though you don't have symptoms if you have increased risks for STIs. These include having multiple sex partners or having sex without using a condom except if you're in a long-term relationship. Testing will allow gonorrhea to be quickly diagnosed and treated. This helps reduce the risk of transmitting gonorrhea and avoid complications of the infection. The CDC also recommends screening for pregnant women who engage in high-risk sexual behaviors to prevent them from transmitting gonorrhea to their babies.

If a pregnant woman is at high risk for gonorrhea, she may be tested again during the third trimester before delivery, to prevent transmitting the infection to her newborn. If you are prescribed more than one dose of an antibiotic, be sure to take your antibiotic exactly as directed. If you miss doses or don't take the full course of medicine, the gonorrhea infection may not be cured.

If your treatment is a single dose of antibiotic, wait at least 7 days after taking the dose before having any sexual contact. Always use a condom when you have sex. This helps protect you from sexually transmitted infections. Symptoms that do not go away after treatment may be caused by another gonorrhea infection or treatment failure. Certain strains of the gonorrhea bacteria have become resistant to some antibiotics and sulfa drugs. When bacteria become resistant to an antibiotic, they no longer can be killed by that medicine.

If you have been treated for gonorrhea and don't get better, you may be retested with a gonorrhea culture to see if there is bacterial resistance to the antibiotic you were taking. If there is bacterial resistance, you will need another antibiotic to cure the infection. To prevent reinfection, don't have sex until any partner that might be infected is tested and treated.

Some people who have gonorrhea also have chlamydia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC recommends that drug treatment for gonorrhea also include antibiotics that are effective in treating chlamydia.

For more information, see the topic Chlamydia. Pelvic inflammatory disease PID is a serious complication of gonorrhea that can lead to infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and ectopic pregnancy.

To prevent PID, prompt treatment of gonorrhea is important. Treatment of DGI usually requires hospitalization and antibiotic treatment given intravenously IV or into a muscle intramuscularly, IM. You can take measures to reduce your risk of becoming infected with gonorrhea or another sexually transmitted infection STI.

You can also reduce the risk of transmitting gonorrhea to your sex partner s. Preventing a sexually transmitted infection STI is easier than treating an infection after it occurs. If you or your partner have had several sex partners within the past year, or you are a man who has unprotected sex with men, talk to your doctor about screening for gonorrhea and other STIs even if you don't have symptoms. Males may also notice :. What are other causes of discharge in males?

Find out here. What are some other causes of vaginal discharge? Learn more here. If gonorrhea results from oral sex, the person may have a throat infection, but they might not notice any symptoms.

Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection, and if semen or vaginal fluid that contains this bacteria enters the eye, the person may develop conjunctivitis , commonly called pinkeye. Find out more about the signs and symptoms of STIs in males. A person might receive a diagnosis of gonorrhea if they see a doctor because they have had symptoms or because they suspect that they have been exposed to the infection.

The doctor will ask the person about their symptoms and medical history. They will also order a test, which might require a urine sample or a swab of the penis, cervix, urethra, anus, or throat.

Home testing kits are also available for purchase online. A person using a home kit sends their sample to a lab and receives the results directly. If the result is positive, they need to see a doctor for treatment, and the doctor may wish to do another test to confirm the result. It is crucial to use the kit exactly as instructed or the result may not be accurate.

Because the tests can vary in accuracy, it is better to see a healthcare provider, if possible. If one person has a diagnosis of gonorrhea, their sexual partner or partners should also receive testing. Learn more about other STIs and how to spot them. Anyone with gonorrhea needs treatment to stop the infection from progressing. The treatment typically involves antibiotics.