Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that is most commonly spread during sexual intercourse. It infects both men and women, in the urethra, rectum and throat. Females can also get infected with gonorrhea in the cervix. In some case if mothers are infected with gonorrhea at childbirth, babies can be infected, usually in the eyes.  

Gonorrhea is a common infected that often presents no symptoms. If symptoms do occur, men may experience painful urination, discharge from the tip of the penis, and possible pain or swelling of one testicle.  Women infected with gonorrhea may notice increased vaginal discharge, painful urinations, unusual vaginal bleeding, pain in the abdomen or pelvic area, and painful intercourse.

Gonorrhea is caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae, it is passed between people during sexual, oral or anal intercourse.

Left untreated gonorrhea can lead to infertility in women if the bacterium spread to the uterus and fallopian tubes. This causes pelvis inflammatory disease (PID), a serious infection that leaves scar tissue on the fallopian tubes and requires immediate treatment.

Men’s fertility can also be affected as a result of epididymitis, inflammation of a small coiled tube at the sperm ducts. Epididymitis is treatable but left untreated can lead to infertility.

If allowed, the bacterium can spread through the bloodstream to other parts of the body, including your joints. Fever, rash, skin sores, joint pain, joint swelling and stiffness are all side effects.

Being infected with gonorrhea makes your more susceptible to infection of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), that leads to AIDS.

Adults with gonorrhea are treated with antibiotics. It is important that your partner should undergo the same testing and treatment for gonorrhea as you. Left untreated, reinfection could occur.