If left untreated, gonorrhea can cause serious and permanent health problems in both women and men. Here are some of the complications that can arise:

In women:

• Gonorrhea can spread into the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). The symptoms may be quite mild or can be very severe and can include abdominal pain and fever. PID can lead to internal abscesses and chronic pelvic pain. PID can also damage the fallopian tubes enough to cause infertility or increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy.
• If a pregnant woman has gonorrhea, she may give the infection to her baby as the baby passes through the birth canal during delivery. This can cause blindness, joint infection, or a life-threatening blood infection in the baby. Treatment of gonorrhea as soon as it is detected in pregnant women will reduce the risk of these complications.

In men:

• Gonorrhea may be complicated by epididymitis. In rare cases, this may lead to infertility.

In both women and men:

• If left untreated, gonorrhea can also spread to the blood and cause disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI). DGI is usually characterized by arthritis, tenosynovitis, and/or dermatitis. This condition can be life-threatening.
• Untreated gonorrhea can increase a person’s risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
• Gonorrhea can spread to other parts of the body and cause serious problems.

It is important to seek medical attention and get treated for gonorrhea as soon as possible to avoid these complications.