How can gonorrhea be prevented?

Gonorrhea is a sexually-transmitted infection that can be spread through all forms of sexual activity including oral, vaginal, or anal sex. Although any person who is sexually-active has the potential to contract gonorrhea at any time, most of those infected are people under the age of 30.

In the US, seventy-five percent (75%) of all  cases involve men and women between the ages of 16-30.  A woman who have vaginal intercourse with a gonorrhea-infected man will have 60-90 percent chance of being infected.

A man who have vaginal sex with an with an infected woman will have a lower 30-50 percent chance of becoming infected. An infected mother can potentially transmit the infection to her newborn baby during vaginal childbirth.

There are several ways you can avoid contracting gonorrhea.

Abstention

Easier said than done for many people, but perhaps in today's STD-challenged situation, this is the only way that's one hundred percent effective in preventing transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, including gonorrhea.

Limit your Partners

The ideal arrangement is for you to be in a monogamous long-term relationship with a partner who was tested and is known to be uninfected. If you are unable to stick to one partner, practice safe sex and avoid sexual contact with high-risk partners.

Latex Condoms

When used consistently and correctly, condoms can effectively reduce the risk of STD transmission.