Getting Tested For Gonorrhoea: How It Is Done

Gonorrhoea is among the common STIs, and this bacterial infection is easily transmitted. Diagnosing gonorrhoea can make the disease be treated without stress. But where you don't know you have gonorrhoea, and it continues to be present without treatment, you may face several health conditions due to this. Sometimes, untreated gonorrhoea develops into disseminated gonorrhoea - a chronic health condition where the blood has been contaminated by the bacteria.

Need a test for gonorrhoea? There are so many tests. You can even have the at-home test option.

There's only one way to know if you have gonorrhoea - by taking the chlamydia and gonorrhoea test. This is what makes testing critical. Should you have a positive result from your urine test for gonorrhoea, talk to your doctor and start treatment as quickly as you can.

How is gonorrhoea contracted?

It is contracted via unsafe sex activities. It may be anal, oral or vaginal. Gonorrhoea is a bacterial infection. It can be transmitted when you have sex with a gonorrhoea-infected person. Do note that gonorrhoea may not present symptoms. This implies that the bacteria may be in you or your partner's body without being aware.

At this point, it is relevant to have gonorrhoea and other STI screening before having sex with a new partner. You also need this test if you want to get pregnant. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides guidelines to help those at higher risk for gonorrhoea know how frequently to get tested.

Gonorrhoea symptoms

Granted, symptoms don't occur all the time. But the common symptoms of gonorrhoea are:

• Bleeding between periods (in women)
• A larger amount of discharge from the vagina (in women)
• Experiencing pain while urinating plus burning sensation (in men and women)
• Abnormal coloured penile discharge (in men)
• Testicles that are swollen (in men)

Rectal gonorrhoea has the following symptoms:

• Anal itching
•  Bleeding from the rectum
• Discharge
• Overall pain and bowel movement discomfort

Oral gonorrhoea has the following symptoms:

• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
• Fever
• A sore throat

Have you been exposed to unsafe sex and are having any of these symptoms of gonorrhoea? Go take a test immediately. What's more? You can have an at-home gonorrhoea test.

What's the test for gonorrhoea?

Different test methods can be used. One of them is the gonorrhoea urine test for men and women. This checks for the bacteria in your urine. With the oral gonorrhoea test option, a swab sample is taken from your mouth to identify the bacteria. Bear in mind that there's no at-home oral gonorrhoea test.

Other mucosal areas of your body may be tested using swab samples. This includes the anus, vagina and urethral opening. The essence is to make sure no gonorrhoea bacteria slip unnoticed.

Where can a gonorrhoea test be done?

A diagnostic lab, an STD clinic or your doctor's office can offer screening for gonorrhoea. With the rise in demand for a private screening, the at-home gonorrhoea test option is available for those who need it. Test results should come after a couple of days, whether in-office or at-home test option. The good thing is that these tests are diagnostic, not screening tests. This implies that no other test may be necessary to ensure a positive test.

Are you suspecting an STI infection is present in your body? Take an at-home test kit. With this, you can test privately. Where the test outcome is positive, you can work with a number of medical experts that can help you with treatment.

What is the treatment for gonorrhoea?

The usual treatment is antibiotics. Discuss the treatment of gonorrhoea with your doctor if your test results are positive.

What's the danger of untreated gonorrhoea?

Think you've been exposed to or have gonorrhoea? Take an early test. Discuss the test with your doctor to know more about testing for gonorrhoea. Knowing whether you have an STI or not is very important for keeping you and any partner you may have from dangerous diseases. When not treated, gonorrhoea can cause infertility issues. Mothers can even spread the infection to babies.

In what way can I avoid contracting STIs?

Abstinence pays! But if you must have sex, get tested for STIs before you do so, especially with a new partner. Practise safe sex with condoms. Maintain monogamous sexual relationships with non-infected persons. This will keep your risks low. Come to Sexual Health Clinic to get tested for gonorrhoea in London. If you like a private test, our at-home test option is a convenient method of diagnosis.