Drug-Resistant Gonorrhea

The AR Solutions Initiative provides critical support to combat AR. Use the Antibiotic Resistance Investment Map to learn how CDC is investing in your area to combat drug-resistant gonorrhea in high risk communities.

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Antibiotic Resistance (AR) Solutions Initiative

Antibiotics have successfully treated gonorrhea for several decades; however, the bacteria has developed resistance to nearly every drug used for treatment.

Drug-resistant gonorrhea is an urgent threat.

Gonorrhea is a common, sexually transmitted disease

About 820,000 new gonorrhea infections occur each year in the U.S., and less than half are detected and reported to CDC
An estimated 246,000 are resistant to at least one antibiotic

Untreated gonorrhea can cause health problems

Increases chances of getting or giving HIV, the virus that causes AIDS
Spreads from mother to baby during childbirth, causing blindness in the baby
Can cause infertility and ectopic pregnancies
Spreads to the blood, causing heart and nervous system infections
Increases healthcare costs

Growing resistance threatens treatment and control

Few U.S. labs can test for resistance
Few healthcare settings have access to these lab tests
Slow detection of resistance leads to treatment that may not work and delays a rapid response

Action needed

Improve monitoring systems to rapidly detect resistant infections
Rapidly respond to resistant infections to stop spread

How will CDC’s Solutions Initiative fight drug-resistant gonorrhea?

Ensure that less than 2% of all gonorrhea infections are resistant to the current treatment 2%

Rapidly detect resistant gonorrhea

Expand the availability of resistance testing
Reduce time to get test results to providers so that patients can be treated in a timely manner

Ensure effective and timely treatment

Use test results to choose correct antibiotics for patients
Prevent health complications and stop spread with appropriate treatment

Public health action

Alert patients and local health departments of a resistant strain quickly
Identify and contact sexual partners faster to limit spread of resistant strains