No one wants to hear that they’ve contracted a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Having one can mean discomfort, inconvenience, potential embarrassment and often requires putting intimacy on hold until treatment is complete. Yet despite the stigma, STIs are far more common than many realize.

The World Health Organization estimates that more than 374 million new STIs occur each year worldwide. Among the most widespread ones are human papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia and syphilis, with gonorrhea also ranking high on the list. "More than 600,000 cases of gonorrhea are reported in the United States each year," says Dr. Omair Rajput, a primary care physician with Inspira Health of Southern New Jersey.

Here’s what gonorrhea is, how it spreads and how it is treated if it affects you or someone you love.

What is gonorrhea?

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection that primarily affects the warm, moist areas of the body such as the genitals, rectum and throat. In some cases, it can also infect the eyes.

Gonorrhea often causes no symptoms in men or women, "but greater than 80% of women are asymptomatic," says Michael Shen, an internal medicine physician at NYC Health + Hospitals/Brooklyn. When symptoms do appear, "they may include burning during urination, unusual discharge from the penis or vagina or pelvic pain or discomfort in the lower abdomen," says Rajput.

Shen notes that gonorrhea can also spread to the eyes if a person touches them after making contact with infected areas, leading to redness, pain and discharge. "Sometimes, the uterus may also become infected, and the person may experience stomach pain and fever as well," he adds.

Rectal infections can cause itching, pain, bleeding or discharge, "and men may also notice testicular pain or swelling," says Dr. Orchideh Alexander, an obstetrics and gynecology physician with Atlantic Health in New Jersey.

If untreated, gonorrhea can cause serious complications. In women, it may spread to the uterus and fallopian tubes, leading to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) "and sometimes infertility," says Rajput. In men, the STI can inflame the epididymis, also sometimes causing infertility. "While less common, the most dangerous scenario is when gonorrhea spreads in the blood," cautions Shen. "This is a life-threatening infection and needs treatment emergently."

Gonorrhea diagnosis is made through lab testing of urine or swabs from potentially infected sites, says Shen. In fact, because its symptoms overlap with other STIs, testing is the only way to confirm gonorrhea.

How do you get gonorrhea?

Gonorrhea is "caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae," says Rajput, bacteria that pass easily through mucous membranes in the genitals, rectum and throat. Because of this, the STI most commonly spreads through sexual contact, including vaginal, anal and oral sex.

While "anyone who is sexually active can be at risk," Rajput explains, risk increases with having multiple partners, inconsistent or incorrect condom use or having a partner with a known STI. Young adults under 25 tend to have higher rates, likely due to more frequent partner changes and lower rates of testing. Because the infection is often silent, people of all ages often unknowingly pass it on.

An infected pregnant person can also pass gonorrhea to their newborn during delivery, which sometimes leads to a serious eye infection in the infant.

How is gonorrhea treated? Is gonorrhea curable?

The good news is that gonorrhea is curable with the right treatment. Current guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend a single injection of the antibiotic ceftriaxone as the standard therapy. "This antibiotic injection rather than pills is recommended because the bacteria have grown resistant to some oral medicines," says Alexander. But oral antibiotics may still be prescribed in certain cases, especially if co-infections like chlamydia are present.

If antibiotics are prescribed, "it’s essential to take the medications recommended by your doctor and to follow instructions closely," says Rajput. That means completing the full course, even if symptoms improve quickly. "And both partners in a sexual relationship should be treated to stop the cycle of infection," adds Alexander. Patients are also advised to avoid sexual contact until they have received confirmation that the infection has cleared.

While antibiotics eliminate the infection itself, supportive measures can ease discomfort until the medication takes effect. These include drinking plenty of fluids, avoiding irritants such as scented soaps and using over-the-counter pain relievers. Rest and warm compresses may also help with pelvic pain.

But in the end, the best approach is prevention. "Because gonorrhea often causes no symptoms, routine testing is recommended for the sexually active," says Rajput. "And you can decrease your risk of gonorrhea," Shen adds, "by properly and consistently using condoms and by having a sexual safety conversation with new partners." Gay and bisexual men can also consider taking doxycycline, an antibiotic, within 72 hours of sex to limit contracting STIs syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea, according to the CDC; it's commonly referred to as "doxy PEP."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 3 scary complications of gonorrhea

Reporting by Daryl Austin, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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