What Is Gonorrhea? Gonorrhea (gah-nuh-REE-uh) is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). What Are STDs? STDs (also called sexually transmitted infections or STIs) are infections that spread through sex (vaginal, oral, or anal). Some STDs can spread through close contact with the genitals or body fluids. How Do People Get Gonorrhea? Gonorrhea spreads through sex (vaginal, oral, or anal) with someone who has the infection. What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Gonorrhea? Someone with gonorrhea may have: discharge from the vagina, penis, or anus in men, pain in testicles in women, vaginal bleeding between periods pain in the lower belly pain when peeing rectal pain, especially when having a bowel movement (pooping) Many people with gonorrhea have no symptoms. They can spread the infection to others without knowing it. What Causes Gonorrhea? A type of bacteria , Neisseria gonorrhoeae, causes gonorrhea. How Is Gonorrhea Diagnosed? To find out if someone has gonorrhea, health care providers do tests on: urine (pee) fluid or discharge from the vagina, cervix (opening to the womb), urethra (where pee comes out), throat, or anus How Is Gonorrhea Treated? Health care providers treat gonorrhea with antibiotics . Two antibiotics are needed because the gonorrhea germs may not be killed with only one antibiotic. The first antibiotic is given as a shot in the doctor's office. The second antibiotic is taken by mouth. All sexual partners from the past 2 months need treatment too, even if they don't have signs of gonorrhea. If someone still has symptoms after treatment, they may need treatment with different antibiotics. Or they may have been infected with gonorrhea again. People can get gonorrhea again if: their partners aren't treated with antibiotics they get treated but then have sex with someone else who has gonorrhea What Problems Can Happen? If it's not treated, gonorrhea can lead to: in girls: pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can damage the reproductive system, making it hard or impossible for a woman to get pregnant later on in guys: swelling in the testicles and tubes at the back of the testicles, possibly preventing a man from fathering kids later on problems peeing due to scars in the urethra infection of the blood that can lead to joint problems and other problems Can Gonorrhea Be Prevented? The only way to prevent gonorrhea and other STDs is to not have sex (oral, vaginal, or anal). If someone decides to have sex, using a latex condom every time can prevent most STDs. Anyone who is sexually active should get tested for STDs every year, or more often if recommended by their health care provider. Back to Articles Related Articles Genital Herpes Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). There's no cure for genital herpes, but medicines can help control it. Read More Gonorrhea The STD gonorrhea can be very dangerous if it's not treated, even in someone who has mild or no symptoms. For information about how to protect yourself, read this article. Read More Abstinence Abstinence is the only form of birth control that is 100% effective in preventing pregnancy. Abstinence also protects people against STDs. Read More Talking to Your Partner About Condoms Some people - even those who are having sex - are embarrassed by the topic of condoms. Here are some tips for talking about condoms with your partner. Read More Do I Have to Get All My HPV Vaccine Shots? Find out what the experts have to say. Read More STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) You've probably heard lots of discouraging news about sexually transmitted diseases. The good news is that STDs can be prevented. Find out how to protect yourself. Read More STDs Parents should learn about the most common STDs, how they spread, and how they're diagnosed and treated. Read More Questions and Answers About Sex Answering kids' questions about sex is a responsibility many parents dread. But by answering these questions honestly, parents can help foster healthy feelings about sex. Read More How Do I Find Out If a Guy I Had Sex With Has an STD? Find out what the experts have to say. Read More Are Condoms 100% Effective? Find out what the experts have to say. Read More A Parent's Guide to Surviving the Teen Years You've lived through 2 AM feedings, toddler temper tantrums, and the back-to-school blues. So why is the word "teenager" causing you so much anxiety? Read More Talking to Your Child About Puberty Talking to kids about puberty is an important job for parents, especially because kids often hear about sex and relationships from unreliable sources. Here are some tips. Read More Talking to Your Partner About STDs You know you should talk about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) before the action starts. But what if the thought of having "the talk" makes you nervous? These tips can help. Read More Telling Your Partner You Have an STD People who have STDs might feel apprehensive about discussing their disease with a partner. Here are some tips on talking to a partner when you have an STD. Read More Your Daughter's First Gynecology Visit The idea of going to the gynecologist may make your daughter feel nervous. Here's how to make her feel more comfortable about a well-woman visit. Read More Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. © 1995-2021 KidsHealth®. All rights reserved. Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.