In order to prevent gonorrhea, using condoms (or dental dams) when having sex is a reliable strategy. With both condoms and dental dams, it’s important that:
Another method that can help prevent HIV and STIs is to ensure you’re not getting in contact with any fluids carrying infections:
It’s also essential to have open conversations about your STI and testing history. If you or somebody you know has not yet been treated or suspect they have gonorrhea, refrain from sexual activity with them until their healthcare provider recommends it’s ok to do so.
In case you have been diagnosed with gonorrhea or had sexual contact with someone that had it, get tested and get treated with antibiotics. Ensure you take the complete treatment of antibiotics and abstain from sexual activity until recommended by a healthcare professional.
Getting regular STI tests is an essential foundation of sexual wellness and the only confirmed way to detect STIs is to allow for early treatment and prevent further transmissions.
Washing genitals and thoroughly cleaning sex toys before/after sex, along with using condoms and dental dams, are effective ways to protect your sexual health and decrease your risk of sexually transmitted infections. However, they are not 100% effective.
Condoms can break or slip off during sexual activity. That’s why it's essential to get tested regularly and have open conversations with your sexual partners about their sexual health and testing practices.
Gonorrhea can increase someone's risk of HIV transmission and acquisition.
Someone with a gonorrhea infection is more likely to contract HIV if they are exposed to HIV during sex since the infection may facilitate the entrance of HIV.
Gonorrhea infection can increase the amount of HIV carried in bodily fluids of HIV-positive individuals, which increases the chances of transmitting HIV to their sexual partner(s).
