What is gonorrhea?

Gonorrhea, sometimes called "the clap" or "the drip," is a bacterial infection of the sex organs, the rectum, and the throat.

Gonorrhea is second most commonly reported infectious disease in the United States, and it's most likely to affect minority populations and women.

The number of reported gonorrhea cases has declined in recent years, but experts point out that the disease often goes undiagnosed. Twice as many gonorrhea infections occur as are reported.

Gonorrhea can be transmitted by infected people, whether or not they have symptoms. Carriers are contagious until they have been treated.

What are the symptoms of gonorrhea?

Men with gonorrhea typically experience a burning pain while urinating and have a yellow or green discharge from the penis. Women often have no outward signs until the disease has progressed to the serious stage.

For women, gonorrhea can eventually lead to Pelvic Inflammatory disease, an infection of the reproductive organs that can cause severe pelvic pain, sterility or pregnancy outside of the womb. In men, untreated gonorrhea can cause epididymitis, a painful condition of the testicles that can result in infertility. Additionally, studies suggest that presence of gonorrhea infection makes an individual three to five times more likely to acquire HIV, if exposed.

Early detection and treatment of gonorrhea is essential to avoiding these complications.

Who is most likely to get gonorrhea?

African Americans are the individuals most heavily affected by gonorrhea, and the number of blacks with gonorrhea is about 20 times higher than the number of whites infected. American Indians/Alaska Natives had the second-highest gonorrhea rate, followed by Hispanics, whites and Asians/Pacific Islanders.

Ethnic minorities in the United States usually have the highest rates of gonorrhea and other STDs, partly because of their poor economic situation and limited access to quality health care.
How is gonorrhea treated?

Both men in women can recover from gonorrhea if treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics must be taken properly or the infection will not be cured.

Antibiotic treatment is recommended for: people who have had positive gonorrhea tests, newborns whose mothers had gonorrhea at the time of delivery and infected people's sex partners within the past two months before diagnosis.

How can I keep from spreading gonorrhea?

If you've been diagnosed with gonorrhea, go to your doctor, and take all of the antibiotics he or she prescribes. Do not have sexual contact with anyone while you're being treated, and wait at least seven days after treatment before having sexual contact again.

Make sure that your partner is treated, whether or not either of you have symptoms. If you are treated and your partner is not, you will very likely become infected again.

Call your doctor if symptoms reappear after treatment or if new symptoms develop. You may need a different antibiotic.

Having a gonorrhea infection once does not protect you from getting another infection later. A new exposure to gonorrhea will cause a new infection, even if you were previously treated and cured.

How can I keep from getting gonorrhea?

To protect yourself from gonorrhea and other sexually transmitted diseases, use latex condoms any time you have sexual intercourse or oral sex. Condoms are not 100% effective, but they are the best protection available against STDs.

To find out more about gonorrhea, check out WebMD, http://www.webmd.com/hw/std/aa33140.asp, or talk with your doctor.