Gonorrhea

Bacterial Diseases
(curable with medication)

• Gonorrhea (pronounced gon-uh-REE-uh) is nicknamed "the clap" or "the drip."
• Bacteria transmitted during sex cause gonorrhea.
• Women often have no symptoms at all or very mild ones. If symptoms appear, they may include burning during urination (peeing) and/or a vaginal discharge.
• Men may have a yellow discharge from the urethra, opening in the penis. It may also burn or hurt to urinate (pee). Symptoms vary from person to person -- from being mild to severe. Men also may not have any symptoms.
• A gonorrhea infection during pregnancy can cause problems such as stillbirth or blindness for the baby. If a mother is infected, she can pass gonorrhea on to her baby during delivery.
• Antibiotics or penicillin can easily cure gonorrhea if treated early. If it is left untreated in women, gonorrhea (like chlamydia) can progress into a more serious illness called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and can keep women from being able to have children in the future. If it is left untreated in men, it can make them sterile (unable to have children).
• Tell any sex partners right away if you find out you have gonorrhea. They should also be treated -- even if they have no symptoms.