Gonorrhea (“the clap”) is a common, curable sexually transmitted disease. It often has no symptoms, but it can cause serious complications.An estimated 1.5 million (reported and unreported) cases of gonorrhea occur in the United States a year. Ninety percent of infections occur in people under 30, with 15-19 year olds reporting the highest infection rates.
Gonorrhea is caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which infect the mucus membrane of the urethra and genital tract. It can be spread through oral, anal or vaginal sex, with or without ejaculation. Condoms provide some protection, but not 100 percent. Gonorrhea can also be passed from mother to child during childbirth. Cases of gonorrhea in children usually result from sexual abuse.
The primary areas affected by gonorrhea are the urethra, urinary tract, conjunctivas, pharynx (throat), anal canal and endocervix (opening of the uterus). The disease can spread and cause other infections, such as arthritis, dermatitis and meningitis. It can spread to the eyes, if a person touches infected genitals and then touches his or her eyes; it can also spread to an infant’s eyes during childbirth and, if untreated, cause blindness.
Approximately eighty percent of women and ten percent of men with gonorrhea exhibit no symptoms. This facilitates its rapid spread, as carriers do not know that they have the disease. This is particularly dangerous for women, as they are more likely to be assymptomatic, yet risk more serious complications than men if the gonorrhea is left untreated.
Contracting gonorrhea once will not make a person immune.
