What exactly is gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea is a highly contagious sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by bacteria. These bacteria spread through the body fluids associated with sexual activity, producing inflammation in both women and men. Who is at greatest risk of gonorrhea? Anyone can contract gonorrhea, but sexually active young people are at greatest risk. Gonorrhea is most prevalent among sexually active people under age 30. How is the disease spread? Gonorrhea is usually spread through any kind of sexual contact with an infected person: vaginal, oral or anal. Ejaculation is not necessary to spread gonorrhea. Sometimes it can also be spread through nonsexual contact, such as a pregnant woman transmitting the infection to her baby during childbirth. Can it be spread through casual contact? Gonorrhea cannot be spread through kissing, but it can be transmitted when one person touches an infected area on their body and then touches a vulnerable part (such as the eyes) of their own body or someone else’s body.
