Prevention

To reduce your gonorrhea risk:

• Use a condom if you have sex. Abstaining from sex is the surest way to prevent gonorrhea. But if you choose to have sex, use a condom during any type of sexual contact, including anal sex, oral sex or vaginal sex.
• Limit your number of sex partners. Being in a monogamous relationship in which neither partner has sex with anyone else can lower your risk.
• Be sure you and your partner are tested for sexually transmitted infections. Before you have sex, get tested and share your results with each other.
• Don't have sex with someone who appears to have a sexually transmitted infection. If your partner has signs or symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection, such as burning during urination or a genital rash or sore, don't have sex with that person.

• Consider regular gonorrhea screening. Annual screening is recommended for sexually active women younger than 25 and for older women at increased risk of infection. This includes women who have a new sex partner, more than one sex partner, a sex partner with other partners, or a sex partner who has a sexually transmitted infection.

  Regular screening is also recommended for men who have sex with men, as well as their partners.

To avoid getting gonorrhea again, abstain from sex until after you and your sex partner have completed treatment and after symptoms are gone.