“The drip” is slang for gonorrhea, because a typical symptom of this STD is a discharge—or a drip—from the vagina or penis.

When guys get this bacterial infection, it often—but not always—hurts or burns when they pee or they may have discharge from their urethra. It’s more common for guys to have symptoms than girls. Girls may feel pain while peeing or notice an unusual discharge from the vagina. It’s also possible to get gonorrhea in the throat, if you give oral sex to an infected person and it’s possible to get it in the anus or rectum through anal sex.

Gonorrhea can be cured with antibiotics, but you can get it again if you have sex with an infected person again. If left untreated, it can cause severe infections in the reproductive system and sterility in guys and infertility in girls, meaning they’ll be unable to have children down the road. A doctor tests for gonorrhea in the throat, anus, vagina or penis by swabbing the area. Some doctors can also do urine tests instead to look for traces of gonorrhea discharge in the urine.

The best way to avoid gonorrhea—and any STD—is to always use a condom and other latex barriers when you have sex and to get tested with a partner before having any kind of sex.

If you’re sexually active, get tested for gonorrhea each year, just to be safe and sure. Most clinics and hospitals offer free or low-cost STD testing. To find a clinic near you, you can use this clinic locator. Or locate a Planned Parenthood near you by calling 1-800-230-PLAN (7526) or find one here.

Have more questions? You can learn more at the Web site for the American Social Health Association, or you can call their national hotline at 1-919-361-8488. The hotline is open 8 a.m.–8 p.m. EST.