There are often no symptoms in women. About 10 percent of men are asymptomatic. The only way to know whether you are infected for sure is to be tested. Many women wrongly assume that they are routinely checked for gonorrhea, as well as other sexually transmitted diseases, during their annual pap smears, when in fact, you almost always need to specifically request testing. Previously, being tested for gonorrhea required taking cultures with a Q-tip for both men and women.
Gonorrhea is transmitted through vaginal, oral and anal intercourse.
In order to effectively prevent gonorrhea, you need to use condoms consistently and correctly every time you have sex. Gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, an infection of the woman's reproductive organs, especially the uterus and tubes, which can lead to infertility if left untreated. It can also cause tubal pregnancy and increased risk of HIV infection. Gonorrhea may cause complications during pregnancy, including stillbirth, or infant blindness or meningitis from an infected mom during delivery. Gonorrhea can even be fatal if complications such as pelvic infection or tubal pregnancy occur.