Gonorrhea

Author: Dr H. Hunter Handsfield Clinical Professor of Medicine University of Washington 2008-07-28

Gonorrhea is one of the five originally recognized venereal diseases, along with syphilis and the now rare STDs chancroid, lymphogranuloma venereum, and Donovanosis (also known as granuloma inguinale).  The name derives from the Greek “flow of seed”, reflecting ancient perceptions that spontaneous discharge of semen explained the main symptom in men.  The causative organism, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, also known as the gonococcus, was one of the first bacteria identified and characterized at the dawn of modern microbiology in the 19th century.  Among all infections routinely reported to health authorities in the United States, gonorrhea is the second most common, following genital chlamydial infections; 358,000 cases of gonorrhea were reported in 2006, although owing to incomplete diagnosis and reporting, the true total probably was twice as high.