Understanding STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) - Symptoms, Causes & Treatments
How To Identify, Treat, And Prevent Oral Gonorrhea
You can get gonorrhea in your throat through oral sex or kissing. It is common to have no symptoms, but you may notice a red or sore throat, a fever, and swollen lymph nodes in your neck. You may also get more typical gonorrhea symptoms.
We don't know exactly how common oral gonorrhea is in the general population.
There have been a number of studies published on oral gonorrhea, but most focus on specific groups, such as heterosexual women and men who have sex with men.
What we do know is that more than 85 percent of sexually active adults have had oral sex, and anyone who has unprotected oral sex is at risk.
Experts also believe that undetected oral gonorrhea is partly to blame for the increase in antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea. Pharyngeal gonorrhea is often asymptomatic and may elude antibiotics even with appropriate treatment
Oral gonorrhea rarely causes symptoms and is often hard to detect. This can result in delayed treatment, which increases the risk of transmitting the infection to others.
Oral gonorrhea can be spread through oral sex performed on the genitals or anus of someone who has gonorrhea.
It can also likely be transmitted through kissing, but more studies are underway to substantiate this claim.
Most of the time, oral gonorrhea doesn't cause any symptoms.
If you develop symptoms, they can be hard to distinguish from common symptoms of other throat infections.
Sometimes, a person with oral gonorrhea can also develop a gonorrhea infection in another part of the body, such as the cervix or urethra.
If this is the case, you may have other symptoms of gonorrhea, such as:
Your symptoms alone can't distinguish between oral gonorrhea and another throat condition, such as sore or strep throat.
The only way to know for sure is to see a doctor or other healthcare professional for a throat swab and ask specifically to be tested for gonorrhea.
Like strep throat, oral gonorrhea may cause a sore throat with redness, but strep throat often also causes white patches in the throat.
Other symptoms of strep throat include:
Yes. Gonorrhea must be treated with prescription antibiotics to fully clear the infection and prevent transmission.
Left untreated, gonorrhea can cause a number of serious complications.
If you suspect that you've been exposed, see a doctor or other healthcare professional for testing. If you don't already have a doctor, our Healthline FindCare tool can help you connect to physicians in your area.
The healthcare professional will take a swab of your throat to check for the bacteria that causes the infection.
Oral infections are harder to cure than genital or rectal infections but can be treated with the right antibiotics.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends treating uncomplicated gonorrhea with a single 500-milligram (mg) intramuscular dose of ceftriaxone. People who weigh 330 lbs. (150 kg) or more should receive a single 1-gram (g) dose of ceftriaxone.
The recommendation applies to infections around the urinary tract, genitals, anus, rectum, and pharynx. Previously, the CDC recommended ceftriaxone plus oral azithromycin. The recommendations were changed because azithromycin resistance is an increasing concern.
If it's possible that you have chlamydial infection, the CDC recommends 100 mg of doxycycliwork twice a day for 7 days.
If you have a cephalosporin allergy, a 240-mg intramuscular dose of gentamicin plus a 2-g oral dose of azithromycin may be considered.
You should avoid all sexual contact, including oral sex and kissing, for 7 days after completing treatment.
If your symptoms persist, see your healthcare professional.
If you've received a diagnosis or have been with someone who has, you should inform all recent sexual partners so they can be tested.
This includes anyone you've had sexual contact with in the 2 months before your symptoms started or your diagnosis.
Talking with your current or previous partners can be uncomfortable, but it needs to be done to avoid the risk of serious complications, transmitting the infection, and developing the infection again.
Being prepared with information about gonorrhea, its testing, and treatment can help you answer your partner's questions.
If you're worried about your partner's reaction, consider making an appointment to see a healthcare professional together.
Here are some things you can say to get the conversation started:
In some states where it is legally permitted, clinicians will offer expedited partner therapy as it helps prevent re-infection if both partners are treated simultaneously.
If you prefer to remain anonymous
If you're worried about talking with your current or previous partners, ask your doctor about contact tracing.
With contact tracing, your local health department will notify anyone who might have been exposed. It can be anonymous, so your sexual partner(s) don't have to be told who referred them.
Mouthwash has long been believed to be able to cure gonorrhea. Until fairly recently, there was no scientific evidence to back the claim.
Data collected from a 2016 randomized controlled trial and an in vitro study found that the mouthwash Listerine significantly reduced the amount of N. Gonorrhoeae (the bacteria that causes gonorrhea) on the pharyngeal (throat) surface.
While this is certainly promising, more research is needed to assess this claim. A larger trial is currently underway.
Antibiotics are the only treatment that's proven to be effective.
If left untreated, oral gonorrhea can spread through your bloodstream to other parts of your body.
Systemic gonococcal infection is a serious condition that can cause joint pain and swelling and skin sores. It can also cause an infection in the heart. However, this is very rare.
Gonorrhea of the genitals, rectum, and urinary tract can cause other serious complications when left untreated.
Possible complications include:
With proper treatment, gonorrhea is curable. However, new strains of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea can be more difficult to treat.
The CDC recommends that anyone treated for oral gonorrhea return to their healthcare professional 7 to 14 days after treatment to make sure the infection is gone.
We don't know how likely recurrence is in oral gonorrhea, specifically.
We do know that recurrence for other types of gonorrhea is high, affecting anywhere from 3.6 percent to 11 percent of people previously treated.
Retesting is recommended 3 to 6 months after treatment, even if you and your partner(s) have successfully completed treatment and are symptom-free. You should consider returning for other STI testing, as well.
You can reduce your risk for oral gonorrhea by using a dental dam or "male" condom every time you have oral sex.
A "male" condom can also be modified to use as a barrier when performing oral sex on the vagina or anus.
Regular testing is also important. Consider getting tested before and after every partner.
FAST FACTS ABOUT STD'S
FAST FACTS ABOUT STD'SFAST FACTS ABOUT STD'S
(You may also want to check out Unspeakable.Com's STD Clinic Locator)
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)What It Is: The virus that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). HIV works by attacking the body's immune system, leaving it susceptible to fatal infections and cancers.How You Can Get It: Through vaginal, oral, or anal sex. You can't get contract HIV from kissing, hugging, shaking hands, or even donating blood. You can, however, get it through using infected needles.Symptoms: You can be infected with HIV and have no symptoms; AIDS takes an average of 7-9 years to develop once HIV enters the body. Symptoms of AIDS, which are caused not by HIV but by the infections that take advantage of the body's weakened immune system, include rapid weight loss, chronic fever, diarrhea, fatigue, shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, and nightsweats. These symptoms can last for weeks or months at a time, and will not go away without treatment. With that said, these are symptoms that are seen in many other diseases that are not AIDS-related, so don't panic and assume that one or more of these mean you have HIV or AIDS.Detect It: A blood test will determine whether or not you have HIV. The test can be done at an AIDS testing center, clinic, doctor's office, or even with a home test kit. You can request that testing be confidential.Is It Curable?: No. Contrary to popular belief, there is no cure yet for HIV/AIDS.Is It Treatable?: Yes, but not universally. Although there have been new developments in treatment over the last few years, and many patients' lives have been prolonged, different people respond to these medications in different ways. Treatment to slow HIV's attack on the immune system, which involves combining two classes of drugs, is complicated. The other major focus of HIV treatment is preventing and alleviating AIDS-related infections.Prevent It: Practicing safe sex. Until you trust your partner and know that she or he has been tested for HIV, use a latex condom.Where To Get Help: The CDC National AIDS Hotline, 1-800-342-AIDS; Planned Parenthood's clinic locator, 1-800-230-PLAN.
"HIV - Get Tested!" Week will take place from December 1-9, 2000 in Baltimore, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Washington, D.C. Visit www.HIVGetTested.Com for details on where to go for free, confidential testing and counseling.
HEPATITIS BWhat It Is: An infection of the liver causes by a virus which is 100 times more infectious than HIV. About 300,000 American contract hepatitis B every year. Although most people recover, some become chronic carriers of the disease. This means more problems down the road, such as liver cancer.How You Can Get It: Hepatitis B is spread like HIV: through contact with infected blood or bodily fluids. You can contract the virus through vaginal, oral, or anal sex.Symptoms: Poor appetite, vomiting, nausea, headaches, yellowing of the eyes and skin, dark urine, general fatigue. These usually show up within 2 to 6 weeks after infection. If you're a chronic carrier who has no symptoms, you can still pass it (unknowingly) to others.Detect It: If you are experiencing symptoms, or have had sexual contact with someone who has hepatitis B, you can get diagnosed through a blood test.Is It Curable?: Yes.Is It Treatable?: Treatment includes rest, diet, and medication. If your partner or anyone else you come in close contact with is diagnosed with the disease, you can get immunized.Prevent It: Practice safe sex by using a latex condom. To minimize your risk of getting hepatitis B, never share needles, syringes, or any instruments used for ear-piercing, tattooing, and hair removal. Don't share toothbrushes or razors either. If you find that you've contracted hepatitis B, avoid sex and other close contact (even kissing), until cleared by a doctor.Where To Get Help: The National STD hotline at 1-800-227-8922; Planned Parenthood's clinic locator, 1-800-230-PLAN.
GENITAL HERPESWhat It Is: A viral infection that often causes sores in the genital area. If these sores are open and exposed to body fluids that carry HIV (through sex with someone who has HIV), genital herpes increases the risk of contracting HIV. Once you contract herpes, you have it for life, along with the estimated 40 million people who also have it. Each year, about 500,000 new people get herpes, and even more who have it but experience no symptoms.How You Can Get It: By touching sores and blisters through vaginal, oral, or anal sex; you can also be exposed to the virus by kissing or caressing the infected areas. Areas where sores form are contagious for days before any visible symptoms break out.Symptoms: Small red bumps that turn into blisterlike sores on the genitals, rear end, thighs, fingers, mouths, etc. Women often experience vaginal discharge and/or burning. Other symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and headaches. All these pop up from between 2 to 20 days after sex with an infected partner. But here's the kicker: some people experience no symptoms.Detect It: A physical examination and/or a clinical test will determine whether you have herpes. The test involves collecting a small amount of fluid from a sore and sending it to a lab to see if the herpes virus is present.Is It Curable?: No.Is It Treatable?: Yes. Prescription antiviral drugs can reduce pain, length, and frequency of herpes outbreaks. The earlier you get treatment, the more effective it will be.Prevent It: Practicing safe sex. Limit the number of sex partners, use a condom all the time, and if you think you might be infected, don't hesitate to get tested.Where To Get Help: The National Herpes Hotline, 1-919-361-8486; The National STD hotline at 1-800-227-8922; Planned Parenthood's clinic locator, 1-800-230-PLAN.
CHLAMYDIAWhat It Is: A bacterial infection that can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and/or sterility if not treated in time. Chlamydia has the dubious honor of being the number one bacterial STD in the U.S. Today, with 4 million new cases every year. It's also known as a "silent epidemic" because 75% of the women and 50% of the men with the disease have no symptoms.How You Can Get It: Vaginal or anal sex.Symptoms: Others experience abnormal vaginal bleeding, whitish vaginal or penile discharge, painful or burning urination. Women may also experience lower abdominal pain, painful intercourse, and bleeding between periods. Men may have burning and itching around the opening of the penis and/or pain and swelling in the testicles.Detect It: With a test from a urine sample or a sample of fluid taken from the infected area.Is It Curable?: Yes.Is It Treatable?: Yes. Prescription antibiotics will do the trick. Douches, however, will not—and may cause someone to get treatment too late to keep the disease from spreading.Prevent It: Once again, safe sex is the solution. Approach sexual relationships responsibly, always use a condom, and avoid sexual contact until you can be tested and treated for chlamydia. If you find that you are infected, make sure your partner gets treated so that you won't get re-infected yourself.Where To Get Help: The National STD hotline at 1-800-227-8922; Planned Parenthood's clinic locator, 1-800-230-PLAN.
GONORRHEAWhat It Is: A bacterial infection in the vagina or cervix. If left untreated, it can spread to other parts of the body, such as the rectum, urethra, and uterus, potentially causing sterility. Occasionally, gonorrhea that goes without treatment can be fatal. About 1 million people in the U.S. Contract gonorrhea every year.How You Can Get It: Vaginal, oral, or anal sex.Symptoms: Some people have no symptoms; others experience a burning feeling during urination, frequent urination, vaginal or penile discharge, fever, stomach pain, nausea, backache, and painful intercourse. Women can also have bleeding in between periods; about half of the women with gonorrhea have no symptoms.Detect It: Gonorrhea is determined with a medical test in which a sample of fluid is taken from the penis or vagina, then sent to a lab for results.Is It Curable?: Yes.Is It Treatable?: Yes. Prescription antibiotics will kill the infecting bacteria. Treatment that's not completed can spell serious problems down the road, such as abdominal pain, sterility, tubal pregnancy, and painful joints. If you are being treated for gonorrhea, you must stop having sex until you're cured; the same goes for your partner. This will help you avoid getting reinfected or transmitting the disease to someone else.Prevent It: Approach your sexual relationships safely and responsibly: limit the number, always use a condom, and, if you think you may be infected, avoid sexual contact until you can get tested.Where To Get Help: The National STD hotline at 1-800-227-8922; Planned Parenthood's clinic locator, 1-800-230-PLAN.
SYPHILISWhat It Is: Syphilis can be very serious and actually result in death if left untreated. Like many other STD's, you can have syphilis without knowing it. About 120,000 new cases of syphilis get diagnosed in the U.S. Every year.How You Can Get It: Through oral, anal, or vaginal sex.Symptoms: The preliminary symptoms are often a painless sore around the vagina or penis, or inside the mouth or anus. Even if this sore disappeared on its own, the bacterial infection is still in the body. Later, you might develop flu-like symptoms, as well as potential hair loss and skin rashes. It's rare, but a third stage might develop years later as skin lesions, mental deterioration, loss of balance and vision, numbness, leg pain, and heart disease.Detect It: By getting a blood test; however, it takes 2 to 3 weeks after infection for the blood test to be accurate.Is It Curable?: Yes.Is It Treatable?: Yes, with antibiotic medication.Prevent It: Approach your sexual relationships safely and responsibly: limit the number, always use a condom, and, if you think you may be infected, avoid sexual contact until you can get tested.Where To Get Help: The National STD hotline at 1-800-227-8922; Planned Parenthood's clinic locator, 1-800-230-PLAN.
TRICHOMONIASISWhat It Is: "Trich" is an infection causes by the parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. It hits about 2 to 3 million Americans every year, and weakens the immune system, making an infected person more susceptible to HIV.How You Can Get It: Vaginal sex.Symptoms: Heavy greenish discharge with a foul odor, vaginal itching and/or burning, abdominal pain, frequent urination, painful intercourse. A woman's symptoms can get worse after her period. Most men with trich have no symptoms, but might have symptoms like unusual penile discharge, painful urination, and tingling inside the penis.Detect It: By getting a medical test in which a sample of fluid is taken from the penis or vagina, then sent to a lab for results.Is It Curable?: Yes.Is It Treatable?: Prescription antibiotics.Prevent It By: Practicing safe sex and knowing your partner's sexual history. Because Trichomonia can survive on objects such as sheets, towels, and clothing, it can potentially be transmitted by sharing these. Even though men with the disease are almost always without symptoms, it's extra-important that they be treated so they don't infect others.Where To Get Help: The National STD hotline at 1-800-227-8922; Planned Parenthood's clinic locator, 1-800-230-PLAN.
GENITAL HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV)What It Is: A viral infection that causes genital warts; there are actually over 60 different types of this virus. About 40 million Americans are diagnosed with HPV, with 1 million new cases every year. If HPV goes too long without treatment, the risk of cervical cancer increases.How You Can Get It: Vaginal or anal intercourse; however, you can also contract HPV simply by touching the infected area.Symptoms: Warts on the genitals and anal area. A person may be infected and contagious with no visible warts. Either way, HPV can cause abnormal cell growth on the female cervix. Visible signs of HPV show up within 3 weeks to 6 months after having sex with someone who's infected.Detect It: A doctor can examine the potentially infected area for warts and other unusual tissue. Women can also have a Pap smear, which will detect changes to the cervix that may be caused by HPV.Is It Curable?: No.Is It Treatable?: The warts can be removed, but often return because the virus stays in the body. Your doctor can remove smaller warts, and severe cases can be treated with laser surgery.Prevent It: Condoms provide limited protection. The best way to reduce your risk of getting HPV is to limit your sexual partners. Women should have Pap smears every 6 months to screen for HPV.Where To Get Help: HPV Hotline at 1-877-HPV-5868; the National STD hotline at 1-800-227-8922; Planned Parenthood's clinic locator, 1-800-230-PLAN.
PUBIC LICE and SCABIES
What It Is: Pubic lice, also known as Crabs, are tiny insects that live on the skin. They infect the hairy parts of the body, and lay eggs on body hair. Scabies is the result of a tiny female insect, a mite, burrowing into a person's skin to lay eggs.How You Can Get It: Although these are often spread through sexual contact, you can also get them by using the same sheets, clothes, or towels as an infected person.Symptoms: Extreme itching in the genital areas. With pubic lice, you might see pinhead-sized insects or eggs on the skin or body hair. With scabies, a skin rash may develop.Detect It: A doctor's examination will determine whether you have pubic lice or scabies.Is It Curable?: Yes.Is It Treatable?: Yes, with shampoos, creams, and lotions that are often available without a prescription. Wash all infected clothing, sheets, etc. With very hot water.Prevent It: Know your partner's sexual history.Where To Get Help: The National STD hotline at 1-800-227-8922; Planned Parenthood's clinic locator, 1-800-230-PLAN.
5 Reasons Gonorrhea Is Becoming More Difficult To Treat
The front page picture of The Star newspaper released into the market on Thursday, January 12, 2023 featured significantly on Kenyans' WhatsApp and social media statuses.
The newspaper's lead story was titled 'Super gonorrhea strikes Nairobians', with the report stating that the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) was concerned about the increase in the number of gonorrhea cases that are becoming more difficult to treat among city dwellers.
Typical of Kenyans, they took to social media to warn their friends and followers that reckless sex was becoming costlier by the day.
Many captioned the front-page image with the Swahili words "soko ni chafu", to mean "more and more people have STIs out here", and, therefore, caution is needed when engaging in sexual intercourse, especially with new partners.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said in a recent report that in 2020, there were 82.4 million new gonorrhea infections among adolescents and adults aged 15 to 49 years worldwide, with most of the cases registered in Africa and the western Pacific regions.
Gonorrhea is the second most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) after chlamydia.
In 2020, the WHO said there were 129 million new chlamydia infections in the world, followed by gonorrhea at 82.4 million.
In total, there were 374 million new STIs registered that year, with trichomoniasis leading with 156 million cases. Syphilis new infections that year were 7.1 million globally.
The WHO says that more than one million STIs are acquired every day worldwide, the majority of which are asymptomatic.
Gonorrhea, one of the commonest STIs in Africa, is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
It infects the mucous membranes of the reproductive tract, including the cervix, uterus, and fallopian tubes in women, and the urethra in women and men.
The bacterium can also infect the mucous membranes of the mouth, throat, eyes, and rectum.
Symptoms
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says gonorrhea is transmitted through sexual contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus of an infected partner.
Ejaculation does not have to occur for gonorrhea to be transmitted or acquired. Gonorrhea can also be spread perinatally from mother to baby during childbirth.
The signs of gonorrhea infection among men include a white, yellow, or green smelly urethral discharge that usually appears one to 14 days after infection, a burning pain when passing urine, testicular or scrotal pain.
Most women with gonorrhea are asymptomatic. Even when a woman has symptoms, they are often so mild and nonspecific that they are mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection, the CDC says.
The initial symptoms in women include increased vaginal discharge, or vaginal bleeding between periods. Women with gonorrhea are at risk of developing serious complications from the infection, regardless of the presence or severity of symptoms, says the CDC.
Serious health problems
Untreated gonorrhea can cause serious and permanent health problems in both women and men.
In women, gonorrhea can spread into the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which can lead to internal abscesses and chronic pelvic pain. PID can also damage the fallopian tubes enough to cause infertility or increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy.
In men, untreated gonorrhea may lead to infertility. It can also spread to the blood and cause arthritis, tenosynovitis, and/or dermatitis, which can be life-threatening, says the CDC.
Gonorrhea can be diagnosed by testing urine, urethral specimen for men, or endocervical or vaginal specimen for women. It can also be diagnosed using gonorrhea culture, which requires endocervical or urethral swab specimens.
'Super gonorrhea'
Gonorrhea treatment has been effective over the years, though of late, the disease has become more resistant to drugs.
Dr. Teodora Wi, the WHO Medical Officer specialising in STIs, says the drug-resistant gonorrhea is now famously known as super gonorrhea.
"When we say 'super gonorrhea' we mean 'gonorrhea superbug'. These are extensively drug-resistant gonorrhea with high-level resistance to the current recommended treatment for gonorrhea (ceftriaxone and azithromycin) including resistance to penicillin, sulphonamides, tetracycline, fluoroquinolones, macrolides," said Dr. Wi as quoted by the WHO official website.
Why gonorrhea is resisting treatment
According to Dr. Wi, there are five reasons for the increased drug-resistance in gonorrhea treatment.
The reasons are unrestricted access to antimicrobials (products that kill or slow the spread of microorganisms), inappropriate selection and overuse of antibiotics, poor quality antibiotics, inherent genetic mutations within the organism which have contributed to the development of a pattern of resistance, and extra-genital infections (infections in the anus, throat and eyes).
Compared to other STIs such as syphilis, gonorrhea has the highest level of drug-resistance, the WHO says.
"The first line treatment of Benzathine penicillin remains highly effective, there has been evidence of resistance to azithromycin," said Dr. Wi.
Dr. Wi further said gonorrhea is extremely cruel to the reproductive system if left untreated.
If left untreated, gonorrhea exposes one to a five-fold increase of HIV transmission, infertility, inflammation; leading to acute and chronic lower abdominal pain in women, ectopic pregnancy and maternal death, first trimester abortion; and severe neonatal eye infections that may lead to blindness, said Dr. Wi.
Adults with gonorrhea are treated with a combined dose of antibiotics. Due to emerging strains of drug-resistant gonorrhea, the CDC recommends that uncomplicated gonorrhea be treated with the antibiotic ceftriaxone - given as an injection - with oral azithromycin (Zithromax).
If you're allergic to ceftriaxone, you might be given oral gemifloxacin (Factive) or injectable gentamicin and oral azithromycin.
"Increasing resistance to the last-line treatment for gonorrhea, poses a big challenge because it limits the treatment choices available for gonorrhea infections. The development of resistance clearly outpaces the development of new antibiotics. There is an urgent need to develop new treatment options for gonorrhea," says WHO's Dr. Teodora Wi.
Using a condom or other barrier method when engaging in sex can help lower one's chances of transmitting or contracting gonorrhea.
These barrier methods, however, won't always completely eliminate the risk of infection, especially if they aren't used properly.
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