In 2000, 358,995 cases of gonorrhea were reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC). In the United States, approximately 75 percent of all reported cases of gonorrhea are found in younger persons aged 15 to 29 years. The highest rates of infection are usually found in 15- to 19-year old women and 20- to 24-year-old men. Health economists estimate that the annual cost of gonorrhea and its complications is close to $1.1 billion. The disease can spread into the uterus and Fallopian tubes, resulting in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID affects more than 1 million women in the United States (US) every year and can cause infertility in as many as 10 percent of infected women.

Vertical transmission

Pregnant mothers infected with gonorrhea, can transmit the disease to their babies during childbirth. Gonococcal conjunctivitis is a major preventable cause of blindness in newborns, so if there is a known risk of transmitting gonorrhea, prophylactic silver nitrate or other medications may be applied to the baby's eyes immediately after birth. Because of the risks of vertical transmission, doctors recommend that pregnant women have at least one test for gonorrhea during pregnancy.