How To Test For Gonorrhea At Home

Anyone who is sexually active is at risk for contracting gonorrhea and should be testing for it regularly. As one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the country, it pays to know the facts. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 820,000 new infections occur in the United States each year. More than 2/3 of those infections are among people who are 15-24 years old.

When detected early, gonorrhea is curable. If it is left undetected or untreated, this Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) can cause serious health complications. It is a good idea to take a gonorrhea test if you know that you have had sexual relationship with someone else who has the infection.

Common Gonorrhea Symptoms and Warning Signs

While symptoms of gonorrhea can be difficult to recognize, there are some signs that both men and women should look out for. Some of these can include:

• itching
• swelling
• redness
• abnormal discharge
• tenderness
• an urge to urinate

In addition, men may notice a white, yellow, or green urethral discharge or testicular and scrotal pain. Women may experience symptoms that are similar to a common bladder or vaginal infection, increased vaginal bleeding or discharge between her periods.

Gonorrhea is especially serious for women since it can cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). PID can lead to chronic pain and damage the fallopian tubes, causing infertility.  In addition, a pregnant woman can pass gonorrhea to her baby during delivery, leading to blindness and joint infection among other complications.

Remember that most sexually transmitted infections, including gonorrhea, often don’t show any symptoms. If you are sexually active, you should be testing for sexually transmitted infections and diseases on a regular basis regardless of whether you notice any of the symptoms listed above.

If you are taking a routine test, you may consider taking a panel test, which screens for multiple infections at once.

If You Engage in Oral or Anal Sex

Many people only associate sexually transmitted infections with the genital area. However, it is also possible to get gonorrhea and chlamydia in the throat and rectum areas as well. The glaring problem here is that clinics and doctor’s offices do not automatically test these areas. If someone goes down on you, it can be transferred from their mouth to your genitals. If you go down on another person, it can be transferred from their genitals to your mouth. This means that localized infections in the mouth or rectum often go undiagnosed, even if you get a genital test. For this reason, testing the mouth and rectum is especially important for individuals who engage in oral or anal sex.

Extragenital Signs and Symptoms of Gonorrhea

• discharge
• itching
• soreness
• bleeding
• painful bowel movement

What Happens If I Have Gonorrhea?

If you test positive, gonorrhea is treatable with medications that will both alleviate symptoms and cure the infection. Let your partner know that you’ve tested positive so they can take a gonorrhea test as well.

Obviously, safe sex is smart sex. But condoms can never fully protect you. They could potentially break or slip. In the case of gonorrhea, they also might not even cover the entire infected area.

That’s why everybody needs to get tested. Many men and women will contract gonorrhea during their lifetimes. As we mentioned earlier, gonorrhea is absolutely curable when detected early. But the only way to treat it is to know that you are infected in the first place. Regular testing is the key to a clean bill of sexual health. It’s the only way to avoid the potential complications that untreated gonorrhea can cause.

Think you have gonorrhea symptoms? Don’t wait, get tested!