The recent news that gonorrhea may be becoming increasingly resistant to an antibiotic is a concerning revelation, because gonorrhea is definitely a disease you don’t want to mess with.

The scientific community has long been concerned about infectious diseases turning into “superbugs” due to overexposure to antibiotics, and this may be coming true in one particular instance, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finding that gonorrhea has gained more resistance to the antibiotic treatment cefixime in the last year — not cause for panic just yet, but certainly something the health community is keeping a close eye on.

Gonorrhea is definitely not something that the medical community wants to see become more difficult to treat. This sexually transmitted disease

infects both men and women, and its symptoms are positively awful.

Infections happen primarily in the genitals, but they can spread to the rectum, throat, and in rare cases even the blood and joints. It is most commonly found in young people between the ages of 15 and 24 years of age.

It’s spread through pretty much any form of sex, whether it be vaginal, oral, or anal, and a pregnant woman who has it can get it to her child.

The symptoms differ slightly depending on if its a man or a woman who has the infection. Men get a burning sensation during urination, and a colored discharge from their penis. There is also swelling of the testicles. Sometimes, men have no symptoms at all.

Women are less likely to have symptoms, although even if they don’t have them they can still spread the disease or see complications as a result of the infection. Their symptoms tend to be more mild and include pain while urinating, vaginal discharge, and bleeding between periods.

If you notice these symptoms, contact a doctor right away.

Sadly, the only way to completely avoid it is to not have sex altogether. But there are steps you can take if you do have sex, including being in a monogamous relationship with a partner who does not have an STD, and wearing condoms properly during each sexual encounter.