Top of Gonorrhea in a Women.

Gonorrhea facts

• Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection that is transmitted during sexual activity.
• Gonorrhea is not transmitted from toilet seats.
• Women infected with gonorrhea may not have any symptoms.
• Gonorrhea is treated with antibiotics.
• Gonorrhea may cause PID, tubo-ovarian abscess, and sterility.

What are sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)?

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections that can be transferred from one person to another through any type of sexual contact. STDs are sometimes referred to as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) since they involve the transmission of a disease-causing organism from one person to another during sexual activity. It is important to realize that sexual contact includes more than just sexual intercourse (vaginal and anal). Sexual contact includes kissing, oral-genital contact, and the use of sexual "toys," such as vibrators. STDs probably have been around for thousands of years, but the most dangerous of these conditions, the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was first recognized in 1981, and the causative human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), was first identified in 1984.

Many STDs are treatable, but effective cures are lacking for others, such as HIV, HPV, and hepatitis B. Even gonorrhea, once easily cured, has become resistant to many of the older traditional antibiotics. Many STDs can be present in, and spread by, people who do not have any symptoms of the condition and have not yet been diagnosed with an STD. Therefore, public awareness and education about these infections and the methods of preventing them is important.

There really is no such thing as "safe" sex. The only truly effective way to prevent STDs is abstinence. Sex in the context of a monogamous relationship wherein neither party is infected with a STD also is considered "safe." Most people think that kissing is a safe activity. Unfortunately, syphilis, herpes, and other infecCondoms are commonly thought to protect against STDs. While condoms are useful in decreasing the spread of certain infections, such as chlamydiaand gonorrhea, they do not fully protect against other infections such as genital herpes, genital warts, syphilis, and AIDS. Prevention of the spread of STDs is dependent upon the counseling of at-risk individuals and the early diagnosis and treatment of infections.

tions can be contracted through this relatively simple and apparently harmless act. All other forms of sexual contact carry some risk. 

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Oral Gonorrhea Symptoms

Many people, especially young teens, consider oral sex to be "safe" sex. "Safe sex" by many people is defined as having sexual gratification by means that reduces or eliminates the chance of producing a fetus (pregnancy). However, many people include in the meaning of "safe sex," sex practices that prevent or significantly reduce the possibility of getting a disease from a sex partner for examples:

• HIV,
• chlamydia,
• syphilis, or
• gonorrhea.

Most doctors do not consider oral (and other) sexual practices "safe" unless precautions are taken to prevent or substantially reduce disease transmission between partners, or if the sex partners are uninfected.

Read more about oral gonorrhea symptoms »

What is gonorrhea?

Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection caused by the organism Neisseria gonorrheae that is transmitted by sexual contact. Gonorrhea is one of the oldest known sexually transmitted diseases. Among individuals who are infected with gonorrhea, 50% to 70% also will be infected with chlamydia, another type of bacteria that causes another STD.

Contrary to popular belief, gonorrhea cannot be transmitted from toilet seats or door handles. The bacterium that causes gonorrhea requires very specific conditions for growth and reproduction. It cannot live outside the body for more than a few seconds or minutes, nor can it live on the skin of the hands, arms, or legs. It survives only on moist surfaces within the body and is found most commonly in the vagina, and, more commonly, the cervix. (The cervix is the end of the uterus that protrudes into the vagina.) It can also live in the tube (urethra) through which urine drains from the bladder. Gonorrhea can even exist in the back of the throat (from oral-genital contact) and in the rectum.

What are the symptoms of gonorrhea?

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Most infected women have no symptoms, especially in the early stages of the infection. Symptoms of gonorrhea include burning or frequent urination, a yellowish vaginal discharge, redness and swelling of the genitals, and a burning or itching of the vaginal area. If untreated, gonorrhea can lead to a severe pelvic infection with inflammation of the Fallopian tubes and ovaries. Gonorrheal infection of the Fallopian tubes can lead to a serious, painful infection of the pelvis known as pelvic inflammatory disease or PID. PID occurs in 10%-40% of women with gonorrheal infection of the uterine cervix. Symptoms of pelvic infection include fever, pelvic cramping, abdominal pain, or pain with intercourse. Pelvic infection can lead to difficulty in becoming pregnant or even sterility because of tubal damage or obstruction. Occasionally, if the infection is severe enough, a localized area of infection and pus (an abscess) forms (tubo-ovarian abscess) that can be life-threatening, and major surgery may be necessary. Gonorrhea infections in people with conditions causing seriously depressed immune function, such as AIDS or immunosuppressive treatments, can be even more serious.