Angelica Bottaro is a writer with expertise in many facets of health including chronic disease, Lyme disease, nutrition as medicine, and supplementation. 

Lauren Schlanger, MD, is a board-certified primary care physician. She is an assistant professor at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that infects the reproductive tract and the urethra. The STI often presents without symptoms, which makes it highly transmissible.

In 2018, roughly 1.6 million people were diagnosed with gonorrhea in the United States. Over half of the people who contract gonorrhea are between the ages of 15 and 24.

This article discusses the facts and statistics surrounding gonorrhea and what you need to know about STI.

Gonorrhea is highly common. When a person contracts the infection, they may be asymptomatic. Asymptomatic infections do not cause symptoms. Because there aren't always symptoms, people can easily transmit the infection to others simply because they are unaware they have it.

The bacterium that causes gonorrhea can affect the cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, and urethra. It can also infect the mouth, throat, eyes, and rectum. When symptoms do develop, they often include:

The symptoms of gonorrhea can be so mild that they are mistaken for other types of infections such as a urinary tract infection.

The prevalence of symptoms depends on a person’s sex. Only 20% of females and roughly 10% to 15% of males will develop symptoms of a gonorrhea infection.

Gonorrhea is an incredibly common STI and it was estimated that in 2016, 0.9% of females and 0.7% of males had gonorrhea worldwide. This roughly amounts to 30.6 million cases across the globe.

A total of 468,514 cases were reported in the United States for the same year, which amounts to 145.8 cases per 100,000 people in the country.

The most recent data compiled from 2020 shows that roughly 677,769 new cases were reported that year, showing an increase since 2016. It is estimated that the 2020 numbers show roughly 200 cases per 100,000 people.  

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the increase in gonorrhea cases can be attributed to:

There is a disparity among ethnicities when it comes to gonorrhea rates.

Gonorrhea affects a disproportionate number of people who are Black or American Indian or Alaska Native.

While both males and females can get gonorrhea, the infection is more prevalent in males. The rates vary depending on the age group, however, teenagers and young adults are found to be the most affected by the STI.

While higher rates of gonorrhea are generally found in males, there are some age groups where the opposite is true. Females between the ages of 10 to 19 have higher rates of infection than males.

Gonorrhea is caused by bacteria known as Neisseria gonorrhoeae . This bacteria can enter the body through sexual contact, including penile, vaginal, anal, and oral. Infants can also contract the infection from their mother if an infection is present at birth.

Anyone sexually active is at risk of contracting gonorrhea. This is especially true if they do not use condoms.  

It is rare that gonorrhea will lead to death. However, it is not impossible. The research surrounding deaths caused by gonorrhea is incredibly scarce because of how rare it is.

One research paper investigated deaths in females between the ages of 15 and 44 caused by either gonorrhea or chlamydia and found that only 0.1 deaths per 100,000 people occurred between 1999 and 2010.

That said, gonorrhea can have severe health consequences if left untreated which can lead to infertility in both males and females.  

In females, gonorrhea can cause infertility because the infection can damage the entire female reproductive system. In males, a small tube near the back of the testicles known as the epididymis becomes inflamed. This tube has sperm ducts, and when it becomes inflamed, it can lead to infertility.  

Because gonorrhea is often asymptomatic, it’s important to participate in regular screenings. Early detection can help lower the risk that the infection will progress and cause infertility.

Yearly gonorrhea testing is recommended for:

Tests for gonorrhea can include a swab on the area affected (such as the throat, rectum, cervix/vagina, urethra) or a urine test.

Gonorrhea re-infection is common, so anyone with gonorrhea should be retested three months after treatment, even if their sex partners got treatment.

If a person gets diagnosed with gonorrhea, they should notify all recent sex partners to seek treatment in order to reduce risks of severe complications and re-infection.

Gonorrhea is a common and highly transmissible STI. Rates of the STI continue to rise, and a high number of cases occur in people between the ages of 15 and 24. Since 2009, rates of gonorrhea infections have risen by 111%. The continual rise in rates has multiple causes, including a lack of access to proper medical care and poverty. While gonorrhea isn’t likely to lead to death, there have been rare instances in which death occurred because of the infection.

Early screening is vital to keep the spread of the infection down because of the dangerous health consequences such as infertility and, rarely, death.

Gonorrhea is incredibly common, so if you happen to get diagnosed with it, don’t panic. While the stigma attached to the infection may cause you to feel shame or embarrassment, you don’t need to feel that way.

Early detection is actually a good thing so that the disease doesn’t progress further and cause more severe health complications. If you are sexually active, the best thing you can do for yourself is get tested for gonorrhea once per year. This will help keep you and your partners safe from the infection.

While gonorrhea can lead to death, it is incredibly rare. Research surrounding gonorrhea deaths is incredibly scarce because of that fact. People with untreated gonorrhea and female reproductive organs are the most at risk of death, but again, it is extremely rare.

People of all ages can contract gonorrhea if they have unprotected sex with someone who has the infection. However, one age group is the most affected. That age group is young adults and teenagers between the ages of 15 and 24.

Anyone who is sexually active runs the risk of contracting gonorrhea. Using condoms during all forms of sexual activity—vaginal, penile, anal, and oral—can significantly reduce that risk. Getting screened regularly can also help reduce the chances of the infection spreading.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gonorrhea - CDC detailed fact sheet.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gonorrhea - CDC basic fact sheet.

Ayinde O, Ross JDC. Time to resolution of genital symptoms for uncomplicated gonorrhoea: a prospective cohort study. Sex Transm Infect. 2021 Aug;97(5):368-374. doi:10.1136/sextrans-2020-054626

Kirkcaldy RD, Weston E, Segurado AC, Hughes G. Epidemiology of gonorrhoea: a global perspective. Sex Health. 2019 Sep;16(5):401-411. doi:10.1071/SH19061

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually transmitted disease surveillance 2016.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually transmitted disease surveillance 2020 national overview.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reported STDs reach all-time high for 6th consecutive year.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually transmitted disease surveillance 2020: Table 10B. Gonorrhea - rates of reported cases by race/Hispanic ethnicity, Age group, and sex, United States 2020.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually transmitted disease surveillance 2020 table 9. Gonorrhea — reported cases and rates of reported cases by age group and sex, United States, 2016-2020.

McElligott KA. Mortality from sexually transmitted diseases in reproductive-aged women: United States, 1999-2010. Am J Public Health. 2014 Aug;104(8):e101-5. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.302044

Chemaitelly H, Majed A, Abu-Hijleh F, Blondeel K, Matsaseng TC, Kiarie J, Toskin I, Abu-Raddad LJ. Global epidemiology of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in infertile populations: systematic review, meta-analysis and metaregression. Sex Transm Infect. 2021 Mar;97(2):157-169. doi:10.1136/sextrans-2020-054515

It's Your (Sex) Life. Talk to Your Partner.

By Angelica Bottaro Angelica Bottaro is a professional freelance writer with over 5 years of experience. She has been educated in both psychology and journalism, and her dual education has given her the research and writing skills needed to deliver sound and engaging content in the health space.

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