What complications of gonorrhea may occur?
If gonorrhea is not treated, the bacteria can spread to the bloodstream and infect the joints, heart valves, or the brain. The most common consequence of gonorrhea, however, is PID, a serious infection of the female reproductive organs that occurs in an estimated 1 million American women each year. PID can scar or damage cells lining the fallopian tubes, resulting in infertility in as many as 10 percent of women affected. In others, the damage prevents the proper passage of the fertilized egg into the uterus.
