Gonorrhea

This fact sheet answers frequently asked questions about gonorrhea.

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Gonorrhea is a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) caused by a bacterium. This is the second most common STI in Boston.

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The basics

How can a person get gonorrhea?

Gonorrhea spreads when someone has vaginal, anal or oral sex with an infected individual. Gonorrhea can also pass from mother to child during birth. It passes through vaginal fluids and semen.

Who can get gonorrhea?

Anyone who is sexually active can get gonorrhea. Having unprotected sex. Increases the chance of getting gonorrhea.

Symptoms

Most people do NOT have symptoms. If symptoms occur, they usually start 2 days after infection, but can take longer. For those who do have symptoms, the most common ones are:

For Women:

Unusual discharge (yellowish or whitish fluid) from the vagina
Pain and/or burning when urinating or during sex
Pain in the stomach or back
Bleeding even when it’s not during a period
In more serious infections, fever
Symptoms from anal sex may cause pain, discharge or bleeding from the rectum (bum) and painful bowel movements
An oral infection may cause a red sore throat

For Men:

Unusual discharge (thick white or watery fluid) coming from the penis
Pain and/or burning when urinating or urge to pee a lot
Less common symptoms include:
- Heavy feeling and/or pain in the testicles
- Symptoms from anal sex may cause pain, itching, discharge or bleeding from the rectum (bum) and painful bowel movements
- An oral infection may cause a red sore throat

How long can an infected person spread gonorrhea?

A person can spread gonorrhea to others from the time they become infected until they get treatment. A person can spread gonorrhea to others even if they do not have symptoms. If you are taking medicine, do not have sex for 7 days after your treatment is over. It is important to know that you can get infected with gonorrhea many times.

Testing

How can I find out if I have gonorrhea?

The only way to know for sure if you have gonorrhea is to get tested. A health care provider may ask for a urine sample or may wipe the infected area with a swab to test for gonorrhea. Many people with gonorrhea also have chlamydia and should get tested and treated for both.

Where Can I Get Tested?

To find a place to get tested near you, visit www.helpsteps.com or call the Mayor’s Health Line (MHL) at 617-534-5050 and toll-free 1-800-847-0710.

How often should I get tested?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends testing for:

All sexually active women under 25 and
People at high risk, including:
- Those who have had unprotected sex, sex with multiple partners, or sex with a new partner
- All pregnant women
- 1 to 3 months after treatment for a STI
- Every time you have a new partner if you are unsure of their status

Treatment

Can you treat gonorrhea?

Yes, you can treat gonorrhea with either pills or a shot. It is important that you take all the medication your health care provider prescribes you. A single dose of antibiotics can cure most cases of gonorrhea. It is becoming harder to treat some gonorrhea, as drug-resistant strains of gonorrhea increase. See your health care provider if you still have symptoms after taking your medicine.

Should my partner get treated?

Recent (within the last 60 days) or regular sex partners must get treated before having sex again. It is best to get treated at the same time.

Related Health Problems:

If left untreated, gonorrhea can cause serious health problems. Women can develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) which can cause infertility. Men can develop epididymitis. Gonorrhea can also increase your chances of getting other STIs, such as HIV or chlamydia.

For more information, please see our STI educational materials in multiple languages here.