What Is Pharyngeal Gonorrhea?
Pharyngeal gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease that is also known as gonorrhea of the throat or oral gonorrhea. Instead of the main infection that occurs on or near the genitals, this form of the illness causes infection with the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the throat, typically as a result of oral sex with an infected partner. When symptomatic, pharyngeal gonorrhea can cause an extremely sore throat, but not all people show symptoms of the illness. The fact that pharyngeal gonorrhea may be asymptomatic can be significant. While some people might recover without treatment, they may also run the risk of carrying the bacteria and infecting partners with repeated oral sexual activity. This type of illness has shown up in high proportions of teens who engage in oral sexual activities in groups, and until it is treated, it can continue to be passed around. A high incidence of this illness has further been noted in some male homosexual groups if they fail to practice safer sex.
