Untreated gonorrhea can increase a person’s risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS 16. DGI is usually characterized by arthritis, tenosynovitis, and/or dermatitis 15. If left untreated, gonorrhea can also spread to the blood and cause disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI). In rare cases, this may lead to infertility 14. In men, gonorrhea may be complicated by epididymitis. PID can also damage the fallopian tubes enough to cause infertility or increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy. PID can lead to internal abscesses and chronic pelvic pain.

The symptoms may be quite mild or can be very severe and can include abdominal pain and fever 13. In women, gonorrhea can spread into the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Untreated gonorrhea can cause serious and permanent health problems in both women and men.

Pharyngeal infection may cause a sore throat, but usually is asymptomatic 11, 12. Rectal infection also may be asymptomatic. Symptoms of rectal infection in both men and women may include discharge, anal itching, soreness, bleeding, or painful bowel movements 10. Women with gonorrhea are at risk of developing serious complications from the infection, regardless of the presence or severity of symptoms. The initial symptoms and signs in women include dysuria, increased vaginal discharge, or vaginal bleeding between periods. 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. Most women with gonorrhea are asymptomatic 6, 7. In cases where urethral infection is complicated by epididymitis, men with gonorrhea may also complain of testicular or scrotal pain. 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. Many men with gonorrhea are asymptomatic 3, 4. What are the signs and symptoms of gonorrhea? In the United States, the highest reported rates of infection are among sexually active teenagers, young adults, and African Americans 2. People who have had gonorrhea and received treatment may be reinfected if they have sexual contact with a person infected with gonorrhea.Īny sexually active person can be infected with gonorrhea.

Gonorrhea can also be spread perinatally from mother to baby during childbirth. Ejaculation does not have to occur for gonorrhea to be transmitted or acquired.

Gonorrhea is transmitted through sexual contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus of an infected partner. 2 However, many infections are asymptomatic, so reported cases only capture a fraction of the true burden. 1 Gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the United States. CDC estimates that approximately 1.6 million new gonococcal infections occurred in the United States in 2018, and more than half occur among young people aged 15-24. Gonorrhea is a very common infectious disease. gonorrhoeae can also infect the mucous membranes of the mouth, throat, eyes, and rectum. gonorrhoeae infects the mucous membranes of the reproductive tract, including the cervix, uterus, and fallopian tubes in women, and the urethra in women and men. Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by infection with the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacterium.

Gonorrhea symptoms in throat