Causes of Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection that can be transmitted between persons through vaginal, anal or oral sex. In men there is a twenty percent risk of infection with just one incident of vaginal intercourse with a woman who is infected. Sex between men poses a higher risk. A woman has a higher risk (80%) of infection than a man. Indirect contact does not result in the transmission of the disease.

An infected mother can transmit it to her newborn child during the process of childbirth. Ophthalmia neonatorum is the name given to the disease when it affects the eyes of the infant.