Most women who contract gonorrhea experience no symptoms at all or symptoms so mild they are not noticed. Men are more likely than women to experience symptoms, which may include burning during urination or unusual discharge from the penis.

Gonorrhea symptoms may appear several days after exposure to the disease or may take up to 30 days to appear. When gonorrhea in women progresses to the upper reproductive tract as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), the symptoms from the original infection site (for example, the cervix) may have disappeared.

Gonorrhea symptoms in women may include:

• Pain or burning during urination (dysuria)
• Abnormal vaginal discharge
• Pain during intercourse (dyspareunia)
• Bleeding after intercourse
• Rectal pain
• Itching (genital or anal)
• Sore throat (following oral sex)
• Red eyes (in cases where the bacteria has been spread to the eyes)

Signs and symptoms of more advanced gonorrhea may include non-menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, vomiting and fever. The appearance of these symptoms may indicate the development of PID.

Many of these symptoms are also common for other conditions, including other sexually transmitted diseases and urinary tract infections. A woman who experiences any of these symptoms should consult a physician, preferably a gynecologist, for evaluation and abstain from any sexual activity until the condition is treated.