Cases of gonorrhea are skyrocketing in the U.S. after hitting a historic low in 2009. In 2020 (the most recent year data is available), more than 675,000 gonorrhea cases were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is a 111% increase since 2009. But despite its prevalence, many people don’t know a lot about the infection.
Here are important facts you need to know:
First, Gonorrhea, which is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, spreads through sexual contact with the penis, vagina, mouth or anus of someone who is infected, the CDC explains. A person doesn’t need to ejaculate for gonorrhea to be spread. It can also be spread from mother to baby during childbirth.
It’s also important to note that having gonorrhea once doesn’t prevent you from getting it again. The CDC says that people who have had gonorrhea and been treated for it can be reinfected if they have sexual contact with someone with gonorrhea.
Not so fun fact: research has shown that up to 50% of all teens and young adults who tested positive for gonorrhea at STD clinics, family planning centers and juvenile detention centers also had chlamydia. It’s a strange coincidence, since the new figures show gonorrhea is now the second most common sexually transmitted infection behind chlamydia. But it’s not terribly surprising. Experts say that both STD’s are transmitted in the same manner and have the same risks for acquisition.
As for symptoms? Well, those won’t tip you off, because the CDC reports that most men and women with gonorrhea are asymptomatic — meaning, they don’t have symptoms. The reason for this likely comes down to individual immune responses. Medical experts say that some people’s immune systems simply don’t have a strong response to the bacteria and, as a result, don’t trigger symptoms.
Because many people with gonorrhea may go undiagnosed, the true number of those who are asymptomatic is not known, which means the numbers of those infected could be even higher than what’s been reported.
Again, many people with gonorrhea never show signs of the illness. However, for those who do, symptoms generally occur within five to 14 days, but may be delayed for months, which may allow the infection to go undetected for quite some time.
When symptoms do show up, they’re a little different for men and women. According to the CDC, men might experience the following symptoms:
- Pain while urinating
- White, yellow, or green discharge from the penis
- Testicular or scrotal pain
Women may have these symptoms, according to the CDC:
- Pain while urinating
- Increased vaginal discharge
- Bleeding between periods
If someone with gonorrhea has a rectal infection, the CDC says symptoms can include:
- Discharge
- Anal itching
- Soreness
- Bleeding
- Painful bowel movements
Gonorrhea can cause permanent and serious health issues if it’s left untreated. In women, the bacteria can spread to the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which can lead to infertility, the CDC says. Men may also develop infertility from gonorrhea, although it’s rare.
That’s all the bad news. The good news is, there IS a treatment, and it CAN be prevented. Treatment for gonorrhea consists of a dose of the antibiotic ceftriaxone given once via injection, per the CDC. Physicians advise that if a case of gonorrhea has spread upwards into the pelvis, hospital admission for IV antibiotics may be required. It’s also good idea to be tested again two to four weeks after treatment to make sure the treatment worked and that you weren’t reinfected by a partner.
As for prevention, there are a few ways to lower your risk of getting gonorrhea. The Mayo Clinic recommends doing the following:
- Use a condom if you have sex.
- Limit your number of sex partners.
- Be sure you and your partner are tested for sexually transmitted infections.
- Don’t have sex with someone who has symptoms of an STI, including burning during urination or a genital rash or sore.
- Consider annual gonorrhea screening, which is recommended for sexually active women younger than 25 and for older women at increased risk of infection. The CDC also recommends that all men 13 years and older who have sex with other men should get screened for gonorrhea each year.
If you had gonorrhea and were treated for it, the CDC recommends that you avoid having sex until you and your partner have completed treatment to lower your risk of getting reinfected.
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