Editing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (section)

===Transmission===
''N. gonorrhoeae'' is most often transmitted through vaginal, oral, or anal sex; nonsexual transmission is unlikely in adult infection.<ref name="www.cdc.gov_2017"/> It can also be transmitted to a newborn during passage through the birth canal if the mother has an untreated genitourinary infection. Given the high rate of asymptomatic infection, it is recommended that pregnant women be tested for gonococcal infection prior to birth.<ref name="www.cdc.gov_2017"/> Communal baths, shared towels or fabrics, rectal thermometers, and improper hand hygiene by caregivers have been identified as potential means of transmission in pediatric settings.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Goodyear-Smith F | title = What is the evidence for non-sexual transmission of gonorrhoea in children after the neonatal period? A systematic review | journal = Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine | volume = 14 | issue = 8 | pages = 489–502 | date = November 2007 | pmid = 17961874 | doi = 10.1016/j.jflm.2007.04.001 }}</ref>

Traditionally, the bacterium was thought to move attached to spermatozoa, but this hypothesis did not explain female to male transmission of the disease. A recent study suggests that rather than "surf" on wiggling [[sperm]], ''N. gonorrhoeae'' bacteria use pili to anchor onto proteins in the sperm and move through coital liquid.<ref name="Anderson2014">{{cite journal | vauthors = Anderson MT, Dewenter L, Maier B, Seifert HS | title = Seminal plasma initiates a Neisseria gonorrhoeae transmission state | journal = mBio | volume = 5 | issue = 2 | pages = e01004–e01013 | date = March 2014 | pmid = 24595372 | pmc = 3958800 | doi = 10.1128/mBio.01004-13 }}</ref>