What are the Symptoms of Gonorrhea?
Both men and women infected with gonorrhea often have no symptoms. Left untreated, gonorrhea can be passed to other sex partners and cause serious health complications. For this reason, routine testing is critical.
Symptoms of gonorrhea in men and women will typically experience symptoms within two to five days of infection. Symptoms may take up to 30 days to appear.
When gonorrhea symptoms in men do occur, they include a burning sensation when urinating, and white, yellow or green discharge from the penis. Some men with gonorrhea experience painful or swollen testicles.
When symptoms of gonorrhea in women appear, they are often mild and mistaken for other health problems including bladder or yeast infections. Common gonorrhea symptoms in women include a painful or burning sensation when urinating, increased vaginal discharge and vaginal bleeding between periods.
Though gonorrhea occurs most commonly in the genital tract, the STD can also infect other parts of the body including the rectum, throat, eyes and joints. Like those with genital infections, many who have been infected in other places on the body show no symptoms.
Gonorrhea infections in the throat, transferred through oral sex, usually cause no symptoms. Some infected people may experience a sore throat or swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
Symptoms of gonorrhea in the eyes of men and women include eye pain, sensitivity to light and pus-like discharge from one or both eyes. Men and women with gonorrhea in the joints often experience warm, red, swollen and painful joints.
Symptoms of Gonorrhea in men:
- Burning sensation when urinating
- White, yellow or green discharge from the penis
- Painful or swollen testicles
- Eye pain, sensitivity to light and pus-like discharge from one or both eyes
- Warm, red, swollen and painful joints
Symptoms of Gonorrhea in women:
- Painful or burning sensation when urinating
- Increased vaginal discharge
- Vaginal bleeding between periods
- Eye pain, sensitivity to light and pus-like discharge from one or both eyes
- Warm, red, swollen and painful joints
Getting a test for Gonorrhea
A gonorrhea test is the only method to accurately diagnose and treat the disease. If left untreated, gonorrhea can be passed to other partners and cause serious health complications including pelvic inflammatory disease, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. Caught early with gonorrhea testing, the STD can be easily treated and cured with antibiotics.
A gonorrhea test is recommended for the following people:
- Anyone experience possible symptoms of gonorrhea
- Anyone who may have been exposed to gonorrhea (regardless of whether symptoms are present)
- Sexually active women under 25
- Sexually active women with high risk factors
- Sexually active men with high risk factors
- Pregnant women
