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Why can gonorrhea be difficult to notice in females?

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Gonorrhea can be difficult to notice in females because the initial symptoms are often so mild that they go unnoticed by both the patient and the physician. While some women may experience a slight vaginal discharge accompanied by burning, approximately 50 percent of infected females are asymptomatic.12

Because the signs are frequently subtle or absent, the disease is often not suspected until a sexual partner is diagnosed or serious complications arise, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, which occurs when the infection spreads through the uterus to the fallopian tubes and ovaries.1