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Signs And Symptoms Of Gonorrhea

Medically reviewed by Anju Goel, MD, MPH

Gonorrhea—sometimes known as "the clap"—is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) that you can get through oral, vaginal, or anal sex. However, most people with the infection don't always know they have it because gonorrhea doesn't always cause symptoms, especially in people assigned female at birth.

If you do develop symptoms, your symptoms will depend on the area of the body that the infection is affecting. This may include your mouth, throat, anus, rectum, urinary system, and genitals. When symptoms do occur, they typically appear within one to 14 days after someone gets the infection.

Anyone who engages in sexual activity can get gonorrhea. But, it's more common in sexually active teenagers and young adults. Over 50% of gonorrhea cases are among people between the ages of 15 and 24. Knowing the symptoms and when to get screened for STIs is important so you know when to reach out for care and reduce the risk of gonorrhea-related complications.

Related:At-Home STI Tests to Help You Protect and Address Your Sexual Health

Oropharyngeal Symptoms

Oropharyngeal gonorrhea causes symptoms in the mouth and throat. The primary way you can contract the virus in your mouth is through oral sex with someone.

This type of gonorrhea is commonly asymptomatic, but when symptoms occur they involve a scratchy or sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and swollen lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are small bean-shaped structures in the neck, armpits, and groin. They carry and filter lymphatic fluid which transports immune cells and waste between your tissues and the bloodstream.

Anorectal Symptoms

Anorectal gonorrhea affects the following areas.

Rectum: The last part of the large intestine, located at the end of the digestive system

Anus: The organ located after the rectum, where stool (poop) exits the body

You may develop this type of gonorrhea through penetrative anal sex. As a result, you might experience:

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Conjunctival Symptoms

Conjunctival gonorrhea, otherwise known as gonococcal conjunctivitis, is an infection in the eye. When it occurs in neonates (newborn babies), healthcare providers call it gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum.

This type of gonorrheal infection is more common in babies, but adults can also get it.  Newborn babies may be exposed to the infected genital secretions in the birth canal during childbirth and delivery.

Gonococcal conjunctivitis can cause symptoms such as:

Gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum can also cause eye scarring and blindness in newborns within 24 hours after birth. Most newborn babies receive prophylactic (preventative) erythromycin eye ointment shortly after delivery. Erythromycin is an antibiotic medicine that helps prevent gonorrheal eye infections and complications.

Urogenital Symptoms

Urogenital gonorrhea affects the urine and reproductive systems. This includes the:

Urethra (the tube that transports urine from the bladder to the outside of the body)

Penis, prostate, and epididymis (duct in the testes) in males

Cervix, uterus (womb), ovaries, and fallopian tubes in females

Common symptoms of urogenital gonorrhea include:

Symptoms by Sex

Generally, gonorrhea affects people assigned male at birth more often than those assigned female at birth. In fact, only 50% of females with urogenital gonorrhea have symptoms, while over 90% of males experience symptoms.

Symptoms in Females

When females do have symptoms, they commonly mistake them for other vaginal infections or a urinary tract infection (UTI).

People assigned female at birth may experience symptoms, such as:

Without treatment, gonorrhea can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can cause reproductive complications. PID is an infection that affects the uterus (womb), ovaries, or fallopian tubes. If left untreated, you may experience complications such as:

Infertility or difficulty getting pregnant

Scar tissue in the fallopian tubes, which can prevent the egg from reaching the uterus

Ectopic pregnancy, or a non-viable pregnancy outside of the uterus

Chronic or long-term pelvic and abdominal pain

Pregnant people will typically receive screening for gonorrhea and other STIs during their first prenatal visit. If an expectant parent does have gonorrhea, taking antibiotics can help prevent passing the infection to the baby. Healthcare providers typically repeat STI screening in the last trimester, especially for high-risk pregnant people. This is important because you can get another infection, even after treatment.

Symptoms in Males

Common gonorrhea symptoms in males include:

Painful urination

A white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis

Swelling or pain in one testicle

Epididymitis—a condition that causes swelling in the part of the testes that carries sperm—can also occur. This swelling is one of the most common causes of male infertility. About 40% of people with epididymitis have permanent oligospermia (low sperm count) or azoospermia (no sperm).

When to See a Healthcare Provider

If you or your sexual partners may have been exposed to an STI or are displaying symptoms of gonorrhea, it's a good idea to see a healthcare provider or your local sexual health clinic (e.G., Planned Parenthood) for testing and treatment.

If symptoms are severe enough to disrupt your daily life, they may warrant visiting an urgent care or emergency room. This might include severe pain, persistent vomiting, or a fever. Having these symptoms or the potential of contracting an STI may seem scary. However, don't let your fear prevent you from getting the care you need.

The following tips can help you prevent STIs, including gonorrhea:

Practice safe sex by using barrier devices such as condoms and dental dams when you have sex

Avoid sex with someone who has a diagnosis of or symptoms of an STI

Limit the number of your sexual partners

Get regular STD screenings to get an early diagnosis and prevent long-term complications

A Quick Review

Gonorrhea is a common STI in the U.S. In many cases, you may not even know you have the infection because it doesn't always cause symptoms. However, when you do experience symptoms, they usually develop within a couple of weeks of getting the infection. Symptoms depend on where the site of the infection occurred. This may include the mouth, throat, anus, rectum, eyes, reproductive organs, genitals, and urinary system.

If you have symptoms of gonorrhea or notice a change in your sexual health, it's good practice to see your healthcare provider for support. They can get you an accurate diagnosis for your condition and advise you on proper treatments and prevention techniques. If left untreated, gonorrhea can cause serious health complications, including infertility—so don't wait to get the help you need.

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Read the original article on Health.

This Pill Is Being Touted As The Morning-After Pill For STIs — Here's What To Know

Sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, are incredibly common. In fact, one in five people have an STI, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And in 2021 alone, approximately 2.5 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were reported, demonstrating a sharp increase from years past.

But one medication aims to curb some of those stats, particularly for gay and bisexual men, in addition to transgender women - who all experience higher rates of STIs than cisgender heterosexual people, NBC News reports.

DoxyPEP, an antibiotic more formally known as doxycycline, is being touted as the potential "morning-after pill" for STIs. The medication can be used to treat certain bacterial infections and experts believe, if taken soon enough, it can prevent the spread of certain STIs. It has proven particularly effective at preventing chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea among cisgender men who have sex with men and transgender women.

The pill has yet to hit mainstream medicine. It's not FDA-approved for STI post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and doesn't have the CDC's recommendation, either. But if and when it does, experts believe it could change the sexual health game for many.

"This will offer more options for people who are sexually active to be proactive about their health, helping prevent STIs before they arise and helping protect their partners and greater communities," Adrienne Ton, ARNP, Family Nurse Practitioner and Director of Clinical Operations at TBD Health, tells POPSUGAR.

"I think this could be one tool, among a whole strategy of approaches, for promoting sexual health and preventing disease," Ton adds. "I envision people working with trusted clinicians, like the ones we have at TBD Health, who can discuss their life and activities and goals for their health and work to create a strategy for promoting health. This might be one part of that strategy in preventing STIs - like regular STI testing, doxyPEP, HIV PrEP, contraception, and condoms/dental dams."

Ahead, more on how DoxyPEP works, its efficacy, where it's currently available, and when it's expected to go mainstream.

How Does DoxyPEP Work?

"DoxyPEP is a dose of doxycycline, an antibiotic, taken within 72 hours of condomless sex," Ton tells POPSUGAR. Following exposure to an STI during sex, there's a period where a bacteria (like gonorrhea or chlamydia) starts to grow and replicate in the body. "Taking this medication helps to stop the bacteria from replicating early on before it can cause disease," says Ton. This medication has been shown to help prevent some bacterial STIs, like syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia, but cannot help prevent all STIs, including viral ones like HIV, Ton explains.

How Effective Is DoxyPEP?

A 2022 study funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) showed that taking DoxyPEP after having condomless sex could reduce the risk of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis among trans women and cisgender men who have sex with men by up to two-thirds.

"This is an encouraging finding that could help reduce the number of sexually transmitted infections in populations most at-risk," said Hugh Auchincloss, MD, NIAID acting director, in a statement.

That being said, "DoxyPEP has been studied only in specific populations, so though it's really promising and hopeful, we cannot definitively say that this will work for the general US population," Ton says. "We have not seen as promising data among people assigned female at birth for now."

The CDC has also voiced concerns about widespread usage of DoxyPEP fueling the antibiotic resistance problem in the US, per Vox. Specifically, the resistance of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis to the effect of antibiotics has rapidly increased in recent years, according to the WHO. And of the three STIs, gonorrhea has developed the strongest resistance to antibiotics. Experts worry that DoxyPEP could run the risk of exacerbating this resistance, making it harder and harder to treat these STIs.

Where Can You Get DoxyPEP?

Right now, DoxyPEP for STI prevention can be hard to come by. But as an FDA-approved drug for other infections (like tick fevers) it can be prescribed for off-label usage - and it is by a handful of providers, and in certain local health clinics. If you're curious about DoxyPEP, have a conversation with your health-care provider or local clinic to find out more information about access in your specific area.

As for when the pill will hit mainstream medicine, there's still some work to be done. The CDC said it was "encouraged" by the initial data from the NIAID-funded study, but "look forward to seeing additional data from the study to evaluate the potential individual and public health risks of doxy-PEP."

Douglas County Health Department Sees Success With At-home STI Tests

This 1975 file microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows chlamydia trachomatis bacteria magnified 200 times.

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Douglas County health officials say an at-home STI testing program is seeing success.

The Douglas County Health Department says since starting a free at-home STI testing program last fall, they've seen nearly 200 test kits be requested.

A total of 78 tests have been sent, 112 people received relevant education and 40 people were referred to the DCHD's clinic.

Health officials say the need for STI testing in Douglas County is urgent. Since 2019 there's been a 39% increase in STI cases, and the county's rates for chlamydia and gonorrhea are more than 40% higher than national rates.

They say the at-home testing program helps combat those issues by improving access to testing and reducing the spread of STIs.

"Through this program we have been able to provide access to STI testing for individuals who face barriers to in-person testing," said Alejandra Rebolledo, DCHD's STI Control supervisor. "Reaching out to more people helps identify those who are infected and speed up treatment while reducing the spread of infection."

Kits are still available and can be requested online. A walk-in STI clinic is also available.

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