Why Take a Rectal Gonorrhea Test

If you engage in anal sex, then taking a rectal gonorrhea test is a vital step taking control of your health.  Above all, it is important to be sure that you are being screened for all potential threats. This can include genital, oral and/or rectal infections. Testing for these Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) at home is the perfect key to staying on top of your health needs.

About Gonorrhea

Often referred to as “the clap,” gonorrhea is caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae. With about 820,000 new cases reported in the United States each year, this infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  It is especially prevalent among 15-to-24-year-olds.

Symptoms of a rectal infection, if any show at all, may include discharge, anal itching, soreness, bleeding, or painful bowel movements. When untreated, it can cause serious and permanent health issues. Among these issues is an increased risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV.

Gonorrhea can be transmitted through sexual contact with the genitals, mouth, or anus of an infected partner. Depending on the types of sexual activity you have participated in. For example, if your partner has rectal gonorrhea, it can spread to your genitals during intercourse. If you have oral sex, it can then spread to another partner’s mouth.

A Rectal Gonorrhea Test You Can Trust

It is important to test all the areas that may carry the infection.  If you participate in oral and anal sex, you should screen with not only a genital gonorrhea test, but also with an oral and rectal gonorrhea test. Better yet, make sure your partner has tested as well.

Many people don’t even realize that these additional testing options exist. They assume that the standard gonorrhea test at your local clinic or doctor’s office will do the trick. The truth is, the standard STI test at most clinics only tests for gonorrhea in the genital area. Only if you tell the medical professional that you have engaged in anal sex will a rectal gonorrhea test be administered.  Still, many people don’t think to tell their doctor these details. Even when they are asked, some people lie and say that they haven’t had oral or anal sex because they are embarrassed. Side note: there is nothing to be embarrassed about!

The solution? Extragenital testing. myLAB Box’s at home STD testing option is the only three-site test on the market.  It screens for infection in the mouth, genitals and rectum. Using myLAB Box, you can be absolutely sure of your status.

Two-For-One: Testing for Chlamydia

Often, when gonorrhea is present, so is chlamydia. Luckily, myLAB Box is thorough. In fact, when you use one of its at home tests to screen for gonorrhea, it automatically also screens for chlamydia as well. This is great news, since chlamydia is another one of the most common infections in the United States.

Testing Options

You can test for gonorrhea and chlamydia in just the genital region with an individual test kit. Other genital-only combination test kits include the 5-panel Safe Box, 8-panel Uber Box, the Love Box for couples and the V-Box for women’s health. However, since we are discussing your rectal gonorrhea test options, let’s take a closer look at tests that screen for these infections in all three areas of the body: genitals, mouth and anus.

As mentioned above, myLAB Box’s Extragenital testing option screens specifically for both of these infections in all three sites.

Another three-site testing option is a far more comprehensive test kit that screens for the fourteen most common infections in the United States. myLAB Box’s Total Box screens for HIV (I & II), Hepatitis C, HSV-2, Syphilis, Chlamydia (genital, throat and rectal), Gonorrhea (genital, throat and rectal), Trichomoniasis and Mycoplasma Genitalium. Women who are 30 years of age and older can add the option to test for HPV as well.

Here’s How It Works:

• Order your rectal gonorrhea test or other testing kit (You even get free shipping!)
• Collect a sample using the easy-to-follow instructions.
• Send the sample off for testing. (More free shipping!)
• Receive your lab-certified results online in just days.

Taking a rectal gonorrhea test at home is a great excuse to check in with your health.  With myLAB Box’s three-site testing options, this is easier than ever. No more excuses. Don’t stress, just test!

Reviewed by Luis Ferdinand M. Papa, MD, MHA