Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It is most commonly spread during vaginal, oral, or anal sex, but can also be passed from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth. Gonorrhea can infect both males and females and can affect the urethra, rectum, throat, and cervix.
Risk factors for gonorrhea include having a new sex partner, having a sex partner who has other partners, having more than one sex partner, and having had gonorrhea or another sexually transmitted infection. Sexually active women younger than 25 and men who have sex with men are also at increased risk of getting gonorrhea.
Symptoms of gonorrhea can be mild or severe, or there may be no symptoms at all. In females, gonorrhea can also infect the cervix and spread into the uterus and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID can result in scarring of the tubes, greater risk of pregnancy complications, and infertility. In males, gonorrhea may be complicated by epididymitis, which can lead to infertility in rare cases.
Gonorrhea can be diagnosed through a urine sample or swabs from the throat, rectum, urethra, or cervix. Antibiotics can cure gonorrhea and reduce the chance of complications. However, untreated gonorrhea can lead to major complications, such as infertility in both men and women, and infection in other parts of the body like the skin or joints[[5]](https://www.webmd.com/...
