If gonorrhea is a treatable infection, why do so many men experience severe damage and even infertility or joint infections as a result of leaving it untreated? the medication developed to treat gonorrhea is extremely expensive; many people cannot afford it, and must leave the infection untreated to spread throughout the body. the symptoms for gonorrhea are sometimes mild; this means people often leave it untreated because they do not know they have any type of infection at all. the antibiotic used to treat gonorrhea is experimental; this means it is not covered by insurance and is only available in certain countries to people who can afford it. the symptoms for gonorrhea are easily mistaken for other infections; this means people take the wrong medications that actually cause the infection to spread.