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Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). It can spread from one partner to another through vaginal, anal, or oral sexual contact.

It usually infects the urethra and/or cervix. It can also infect the rectum, anus, throat, and the reproductive organs.  In rare cases, it can infect the eyes

Treat gonorrhea right away and it won’t cause problems. But you might have serious problems if it isn’t treated:

Many women who have gonorrhea also have chlamydia, another STI. If finding out that you have an STI makes you feel bad about yourself or about sex, counseling or a support group may help you feel better.

Gonorrhea symptoms

Many women don’t have symptoms so you can pass it to your sex partners without knowing it. You are contagious until you have been treated.

Symptoms can include:

  • Pain when you urinate
  • Abnormal vaginal discharge

Symptoms usually show up 2 to 5 days after exposure, but can take as long as 30 days.

Diagnosing gonorrhea

It’s likely you won’t know you have gonorrhea until you get tested. So it’s smart to get tested once a year if you are sexually active and in your mid-20s or younger. Check with local health departments or family planning clinics about low-cost testing.

Testing is quick and easy. It usually just takes a sample of your urine or a swab from your cervix, vagina, or urethra. You may be tested for other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at the same time.

Treating gonorrhea

Getting treatment as soon as possible helps prevent the spread of the infection and lowers your risk for other problems, such as pelvic inflammatory disease.

Antibiotics are used to treat gonorrhea. Let your sex partners know you have gonorrhea so they can be treated too, otherwise, you’ll just end up passing the infection back and forth.

Tell everyone you’ve had sex with in the past 2 months. If you have not had sex in the past 2 months, contact your last sex partner.

Avoid all sexual contact while you are being treated for an STI.

Preventing gonorrhea

It’s easier to prevent gonorrhea than to treat it.

  • Talk with your partner about STIs. Find out whether he or she is at risk for them. A person can be infected without knowing it.
  • Remember, every time you have sex with a new partner, you’re being exposed to all the infections their partners may have.
  • Do not have sex with anyone who has symptoms or has been exposed to an STI.
  • Use a latex or polyurethane condom every time you have sex to keep out the viruses and bacteria that cause STIs.
  • Be responsible. Don’t have sex if you have symptoms or are being treated for an STI.
  • Save sex for later. Delay sex with a new partner until both of you have been tested for STIs.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) or genital warts

If finding out that you have an STI makes you feel bad about yourself or about sex, counseling or a support group may help you feel better.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs).  It is a virus that can be spread through sex or skin-to-skin genital contact with someone who has the virus.

There are many different types of HPV:

  • Some types cause genital warts
  • Some types can lead to cervical, anal, or oral cancer

There is no known cure for HPV, but if you are age 26 or younger, you can get the HPV vaccine to protect you against some types of the virus.

  • Cervarix protects against two types of HPV that cause cervical cancer
  • Gardasil protect against two types of HPV that cause cervical cancer and the two types of HPV that cause genital warts
By Betty Shen, MD - Published November 3, 2015