What Is It? Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD)
that is caused by bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoeae. These
bacteria can be passed from person to person during sexual
activity (vaginal, oral and anal intercourse) leading to
infections of the urethra (urine tube), cervix, vagina and anus.
If untreated, these gonorrhea infections can spread to higher
portions of the reproductive tract, causing prostatitis
(prostate inflammation) and epididymo-orchitis (inflammation of
the epididymis and testes) in men, and pelvic inflammatory
disease (PID) in women. Gonorrhea also can cause gonococcal
proctitis (inflammation of the anus and rectum). In people who
practice oral sex, it may infect the throat, causing gonococcal
pharyngitis. Less commonly, gonorrhea can spread to other parts
of the body through the bloodstream, causing fever, a
characteristic rash and arthritis. In pregnant women with
untreated gonorrhea, bacteria may spread to the eyes of their
babies during childbirth, causing gonococcal ophthal