Causes and Risk Factors of Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection caused by a bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoeae. All sexually active people face a risk for gonorrhea.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 600,000 new cases of gonorrhea were reported in 2019—making it the second most common notifiable condition. The highest reported rates of infection are found to be among sexually active teens, young adults, and African Americans.

It is important to learn as much as you can about causes, risk factors, and ways to defend yourself against infection.

Common Risk Factors

Let’s take a look at some of the factors that contribute to the chances of acquiring gonorrhea and the action steps you can take to reduce those risks.

Sexual Activity

If you have unprotected, vaginal, oral, or anal sex with someone who’s infected with gonorrhea, you may acquire the infection. If your condom breaks during sex with an infected partner, your chances of contracting it may increase.

Although gonorrhea is transmitted through sexual activity, a partner with a penis doesn’t have to ejaculate to spread the infection to another person. If the bacteria enter an opening in the body, including the vagina, penis, anus, or mouth, you can become infected.

If you've been diagnosed with gonorrhea in the past and took the medication to eradicate the infection, you can still get the infection again if you have unprotected sex with a partner who has it.

Testing isn't difficult or scary—an easy swab or urine test can yield accurate results.

Pregnancy

If you’re pregnant and have gonorrhea, it can pose potential risks to your pregnancy or you can pass the infection to your baby during childbirth. In this instance, the infection typically affects the baby’s eyes, lungs, and rectum.

Compromised Immune System

If you’re immunocompromised, including having a diagnosis of HIV/AIDs, you may be more at risk of acquiring and spreading the infection.

How It Doesn't Spread

Gonorrhea can’t survive outside of the human body, which means you can’t contract it from bed sheets, toilet seats, or clothing from a person who has the infection.

Lifestyle Factors That Lower Risk

There are some risk factors of gonorrhea that you can address through your daily habits and behaviors.

Condoms

The only way to ensure you won’t become infected or spread gonorrhea is to abstain from having sex. However, that may not be realistic or practical for all individuals. If you decide to have sex—whether vaginal, anal, or oral—use a condom.

Unsure of how to properly use condoms to protect yourself from the transmission of STDs/STIs? There are helpful guides available for correctly using external condoms (condoms for penises) and internal condoms (condoms placed into the front hole, vagina, or anus). Paying attention to details like checking the expiration date or how you unroll a condom can make using them more effective.

Open Communication

While it might not always be an easy topic to discuss, maintaining open communication with your sexual partners about whether or not they’ve been tested for gonorrhea can help you protect yourself.

If your partner displays atypical symptoms like pain or burning upon urination, unusual discharge, or something else, refrain from sexual activities until they can be evaluated and treated accordingly by a healthcare provider.  

Stay the Course of Treatment

If you’ve been diagnosed with gonorrhea, it can be tempting to stop taking your medication as soon as you begin feeling better or your symptoms subside. But to fully eradicate the infection, stay the course of treatment a healthcare provider has prescribed for you.

To prevent infecting someone else, a healthcare provider will recommend that you abstain from sex for seven days after completing single-dose therapy and until all sex partners are treated.

Prioritize Annual Screenings

If you’re sexually active with a new partner, have multiple partners, or you’ve been with a partner who’s been diagnosed with gonorrhea, consider making routine screenings an ongoing part of your overall healthcare. Furthermore, practice safe sex to reduce the risk of contracting gonorrhea. When it’s caught early, gonorrhea is a curable infection. If it’s left untreated, it can lead to serious complications for anyone.