Overview
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacterium
Neisseria gonorrhea. It is a contagious sexually transmitted disease spread by unprotected oral, vaginal, or anal sex with an infected partner. The bacterium can live in the mouth, semen or vaginal fluids of infected persons. It is possible to be infected without symptoms and continue to spread the disease.
If the infection is not treated, it can spread to other parts of the body, including the throat, joints, and eyes (potentially leading to blindness). Complications from gonorrhea infection include pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can affect fertility in women; inflammation of the testicles (epididymitis), which can lead to infertility in men; blindness in an infant infected during delivery; and widespread infection with a fever, rash, and joint pain.
