Prevention

Acupuncture Allergies Alzheimer's Disease Androgen Anxiety Disorders Asthma Atherosclerosis Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Bacterial Vaginosis Biofeedback Bipolar Disorder Birth Control Pills Blood Donation and Transfusion Breast Augmentation and Reduction Breast Cancer Breastfeeding Breast Reconstruction Caregiving Cervical Cancer Chiropractic Chlamydia Cholesterol Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Clinical Trials Colon Cancer Contraception Depression Diabetes Dry Eye Syndrome Eating Disorders Endometriosis Epilepsy Estrogen Fibroids Fibromyalgia Fitness Flu/Colds Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) Genetic Testing Genital Herpes Glaucoma Gonorrhea Health Insurance Heart Disease Hepatitis High Blood Pressure HIV/AIDS Homeopathy Human Papillomavirus Hypnosis Hysterectomy Incontinence Infertility Irritable Bowel Syndrome Legal Health Tools Liposuction Lung Cancer Lupus Macular Degeneration Medication Safety Menopause Menstrual Disorders Metabolic Syndrome Migraine Multiple Sclerosis Naturopathy Nonsurgical Aesthetic Procedures Nutrition Obesity Ocular Allergies Oral Health Osteoarthritis Osteopathic Medicine Osteoporosis Ovarian Cancer Overactive Bladder Pain Management Pelvic Organ Prolapse Pelvic Pain Peripheral Arterial Disease Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Pregnancy Premenstrual Syndrome Preparing for Surgery Progesterone Rheumatoid Arthritis Schizophrenia Scleroderma Sexual Dysfunction Sinusitis Sjogren's Syndrome Skin Cancer Skin Health Sleep Disorders Smoking Stress Stroke Substance Abuse Tai Chi Teen Health Thyroid Disorders Trichomoniasis Urinary Tract Conditions Urinary Tract Infection Uterine Cancer Varicose Veins Violence Against Women Vulvodynia Weight Management Yeast Infections Yoga

Protecting yourself from gonorrhea requires the same care and attention needed to prevent other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). If you have already been infected, you should be vigilant in getting treated and in preventing re-infection, which can increase your risk of infertility. Abstinence is one sure way to avoid infection, as the spread of gonorrhea is almost always limited to sexual contact. It is safe to have sex in a mutually monogamous relationship in which neither partner has an STD, but it can be difficult to know with certainty that your partner is monogamous. If you have sex, make sure you use a condom at all times. Also know that your risk for gonorrhea infection increases with the more sexual partners you have. If you have any risk factors for gonorrhea, you should ask your healthcare professional to test you at least once a year. Some of the risk factors are young age, being sexually active, having multiple sex partners, and having had prior STDs.

Here are other tips for avoiding gonorrhea:

• Ask about the sexual history of current and future sex partners.

• Reduce your number of sex partners. A mutually monogamous relationship between two uninfected people is safe.

• Always use a condom from start to finish during any type of sex (vaginal, anal and oral). Use latex condoms rather than natural membrane condoms. If used properly, latex condoms offer greater protection against sexually transmitted disease agents, including HIV.

• Lesbians can use latex gloves and condoms for genital and anal stimulation with the fingers or with sex toys (dildos, vibrators, etc.) A dental dam (flat, latex barrier), non-microwavable plastic wrap, or a condom cut lengthwise and placed over the vagina is advisable for oral-genital sex.

• Use only water-based lubricants. Do not use saliva or oil-based lubricants such as petroleum jelly or vegetable shortening. If you decide to use a spermicide along with a condom, it is preferable to use spermicide in the vagina according to manufacturer's instructions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed new warnings for the labels of over-the-counter vaginal contraceptives that contain the spermicide nonoxynol-9. The warning would state that vaginal contraceptives containing nonoxynol-9 do not protect against infection from HIV (human immunodeficiency virus, the AIDS virus) or other STDs. The FDA's warning also would advise consumers that the use of vaginal contraceptives containing nonoxynol-9 can increase vaginal irritation, which may actually increase the possibility of transmitting the AIDS virus and other STDs from infected partners.