Subspeciation of gonococci by lectin agglutination and DNA probes has been accomplished. Vaccine candidates include protein I and synthetic peptides made from it. Epidemiologic aspects of gonorrhea are largely unchanged, and the role of gonorrhea in tubal infertility and neonatal eye disease is confirmed. The clinical diagnosis of gonorrhea in women remains difficult, and vancomycin-sensitive gonococci confound culture techniques. Culture-independent diagnostic techniques have been developed with varying degrees of success, and some of these same techniques can be used to identify gonococci from culture.Neisseria gonorrhoeaecontinues to become more resistant to antimicrobial agents via chromosomal mutations and plasmid acquisition. Plasmid-mediated resistance to penicillin and tetracycline is an increasing problem. The third-generation cephalosporins and the quinolones remain effective therapy for uncomplicated infection.