A urine test & a swab test - collecting fluid from the penis or vagina by placing a swab in the opening of the urethra; this causes brief discomfort.
- giving a sample of urine
- a genital examination by a doctor or nurse
- taking swabs from the cervix (entrance to the womb), urethra (tube where the urine comes out), throat or rectum
- women may have an internal examination
- Do you have any discharge? If you have discharge from your vagina or penis, it is important to note any smell or color.
- Do you have sores in your genital area or anywhere else on your body?
- Do you have any urinary symptoms, including frequent urination, burning or stinging with urination, or urinating in small amounts?
- Do you have any unusual belly or pelvic pain?
- What method of birth control do you use? Do you use a condom to protect against STDs every time you have sex?
- Do you or your partner engage in high-risk sexual behaviors?
- Have you had an STD in the past? How was it treated?
- A woman will have a pelvic exam.
- A man will have a genital exam to look for signs of urethritis and epididymitis.
Several gonorrhea tests can be used to detect or confirm an infection. Your health professional will collect a sample of body fluid or urine to be tested for gonorrhea bacteria (Neisseria gonorrhoeae). Most tests give results within a few days.
Treatment of Gonorrhea
Prescription antibiotic medicine normally cures gonorrhea infections. Gonorrhea does not cause long-term problems if it is treated before any complications develop. However, gonorrhea can lead to many complications if it is not treated.
Early treatment is simple & effective, & involves a single dose of antibiotics. In addition, the treatment of chlamydia is also advocated. (It is common to have these two STD infections together - 50% have both)
Treatment of Gonorrhea:
* Levaquin® 500 mg a single dose, or
* Tequin® 400 mg a single dose;
To avoid re-infection, any sexual partners should be treated too.
It's important not to have unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex until treatment is completed & the infection has cleared up.
Once it has been successfully treated, it won't come back unless a new infection is picked up.
If you have been diagnosed with gonorrhea:
- Take the full course of antibiotics as prescribed by your doctor. If you skip doses or do not complete the treatment, the infection may not be cured.
- Do not have sexual contact with anyone while you are being treated. If your treatment is a single dose of antibiotics, wait at least 7 days after taking the dose before having any sexual contact.
- Make sure your partner knows that he or she needs to be treated even if there are no symptoms. You can spread the infection to others even if you do not have symptoms.
- Call your doctor if your symptoms continue or reappear after treatment or if new symptoms develop. You may need a different antibiotic medicine or further evaluation.
Avoid all sexual contact while you are being treated for an STD. People taking a single dose of medicine should not have any sexual contact for 7 days after treatment to give the medicine time to work. Exposed sex partners need treatment whether they have symptoms or not.
