State health officials are encouraging sexually active young adults to be tested for the disease.
Gonorrhea is an infection that is spread through sexual contact with another person.
There have been 25 cases of gonorrhea reported in Dewey County this year, compared to 12 for all of last year, said Dr. Sarah Patrick, State Epidemiologist for the Department of Health. Because people with gonorrhea often have no symptoms, the only way to be sure is to be tested. Patrick said as many as 80 percent of women with gonorrhea and 15 percent of men have no symptoms of the disease. People with no symptoms are at risk for developing complications and also spread the infection unknowingly. Without treatment, complications can occur, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, a painful condition that can lead to sterilization in females.