The gonorrhea organism infects cells of the lining of the cervix, urethra, rectum and eye. Persons with gonorrhea may or may not develop symptoms when they are infected. Consequently, they may transmit the infection to other people without knowing it.
Gonorrhea is transmitted by intimate sexual contact.
It does not survive outside the body and exchange of infected secretions is necessary for transmission. The incubation period, that is the time it takes for symptoms to develop, is usually a few days. Some people can remain infected with gonorrhea for a long time without developing any symptoms at all. When symptoms do occur, the type and severity of these symptoms will depend on the site of the infection and a person's response to the infection. In men, gonorrhea usually causes urethritis, an inflammation of the urethra in the penis.