Four curable sexually transmitted infections - all you need to know
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.
What's The Difference Between Chlamydia And Gonorrhea?
People of any anatomy can contract chlamydia or gonorrhea and never develop any symptoms. When symptoms do occur, there are a few telltale signs differentiating the two conditions.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea are both sexually transmitted infections (STIs) caused by bacteria. They can be contracted through oral, genital, or anal sex.
The symptoms of these two STIs overlap, so if you have one of these conditions, it's sometimes hard to be sure which one it is without having a diagnostic test at a doctor's office.
Some people with chlamydia or gonorrhea may have no symptoms. But when symptoms occur, there are some similarities, such as an abnormal, bad-smelling discharge from the penis or vagina, or a burning feeling when you pee.
Chlamydia is more common than gonorrhea. According to a 2017 report, over 1.7 million cases of chlamydia were reported in the United States, while just over 550,000 cases of gonorrhea were documented.
Read on to learn about how these two STIs are different, how they're similar, and how you can reduce your risk for these infections.
People of any anatomy can contract chlamydia or gonorrhea and never develop any symptoms.
With chlamydia, symptoms may not appear for a few weeks after you've contracted the infection. And with gonorrhea, people who have female anatomy may never experience any symptoms at all or may only show mild symptoms, while people who have male anatomy are more likely to have symptoms that are more severe.
A couple of the most telltale symptoms of these STIs overlap between the two, such as:
With both gonorrhea and chlamydia, people with male anatomy may also experience abnormal swelling in their testicles and scrotum, and pain when they ejaculate.
You may also develop symptoms that affect your throat if you engage in oral sex with someone who has one of these conditions. This can cause mouth and throat symptoms, including sore throat and a cough.
Chlamydia symptoms
With chlamydia, people with female anatomy may experience more severe symptoms if the infection moves upward to the uterus and fallopian tubes. This can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
PID can cause symptoms such as:
Seek emergency medical help if you think you may have PID.
Gonorrhea symptoms
With gonorrhea, you may also notice rectal symptoms like itching, soreness, and pain when you defecate.
People with female anatomy may also notice heavier bleeding during their periods and pain during sex.
Both conditions are caused by an overgrowth of bacteria. Chlamydia is caused by an overgrowth of the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis.
Gonorrhea is caused by an overgrowth of bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Both STIs are caused by bacterial infections that are transmitted through unprotected sexual contact, meaning sex without using a condom, dental dam, or another protective barrier between you and your partner during vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
It's also possible to contract the infection through sexual contact that doesn't involve penetration. For example, if your genitals come into contact with the genitals of someone who's contracted the infection, it's possible to develop the condition.
Both STIs can also be contracted through protected sex with a condom or other barrier if you don't use protection properly, or if the barrier breaks.
Either STI can be contracted even if you aren't showing visible symptoms. Both STIs can also be transmitted to a child at birth if the mother has either condition.
You're at increased risk for developing these and other STIs if you:
Sexual assault can also increase your risk of both chlamydia or gonorrhea.
Get tested for STIs as soon as possible if you've recently been forced to have non-consensual oral, genital, or anal sex. If you're in the United States, you can also call the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) for support from people who can help without revealing any of your personal information or details of your experience.
Both STIs can be diagnosed using similar diagnostic methods. Your doctor may use one or more of these tests to ensure that the diagnosis is accurate and that the right treatment is given:
Both STIs are curable and can be treated with antibiotics, but you're more likely to contract the infection again if you've had either STI before.
Treatment for chlamydia
Chlamydia is usually treated with a dose of azithromycin (Zithromax, Z-Pak) taken either all at once or over a period of a week or so (typically about five days).
Chlamydia can also be treated with doxycycline (Oracea, Monodox). This antibiotic is usually given as a twice-daily oral tablet that you need to take for about a week.
Follow your doctor's dosage instructions carefully. It's important to take the full dosage for the prescribed number of days so that the antibiotics can clear the infection. Not completing the round of antibiotics can cause you to become resistant to that antibiotic. This can be dangerous if you contract the infection again.
If you're experiencing symptoms, they should begin to fade a few days after you start treatment.
Avoid sex until your doctor tells you that the infection has fully been cleared by the antibiotics. It can take two weeks or more for the infection to clear up, and during that time, you can still transmit the infection.
Treatment for gonorrhea
Your doctor will likely prescribe ceftriaxone (Rocephin) in the form of an injection into your buttock.
The CDC previously recommended ceftriaxone plus azithromycin, but the guidelines were changed because the bacteria causing gonorrhea are becoming increasingly resistant to azithromycin.
Using both antibiotics helps clear the infection better than using only one treatment alone.
As with chlamydia, don't have sex until the infection clears, and be sure to take your entire dose.
Gonorrhea is more likely than chlamydia to become resistant to antibiotics. If you contract the infection with a resistant strain, you'll need treatment with alternative antibiotics, which your doctor will recommend.
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Some complications of these STIs can happen to anyone. Others are unique to each sex due to differences in sexual anatomy.
Gonorrhea has more severe possible complications and is more likely to cause long-term problems like infertility.
In both males and females
Complications that may be seen in anyone include:
In males
In females
Both chlamydia and gonorrhea can be transmitted in the same ways, and both can easily be treated using antibiotics.
Both are also preventable if you take precautions during sex, such as using protection and limiting the number of people you have unsafe sex with at any given time.
Regular STI testing, for both you and your sexual partners, can also help reduce the risk of transmitting an infection if you or a sexual partner develop an STI.
If you suspect an STI or have been diagnosed with one, stop all sexual activity and get treatment as soon as possible. If you're diagnosed, tell anyone you've had sex with to get tested just in case.
What Is 'the Clap'? Everything To Know About Gonorrhea
Sex can be amazing, but it can leave you with more than a body-quaking orgasm. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like "the clap" are always a risk (even if you use protection, which you definitely should). But wait, what is "the clap," exactly? It's slang for gonorrhea (and no, it doesn't come with a round of applause—zing!). Gonorrhea can cause uncomfortable symptoms or it can be asymptomatic, meaning you have no symptoms at all. That means you could have the infection and unknowingly spread it to others.
If you were diagnosed with gonorrhea or think there's a chance you have it, know that it's nothing to be ashamed of. "It doesn't mean you are dirty or weren't careful," Sarah Yamaguchi, MD, FACOG, a board-certified gynecologist at DTLA Gynecology who is affiliated with Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, California, tells SELF. "If you are having sex, then I think you have to be realistic that you might get a sexually transmitted infection."
Staying informed—whether through understanding the protective methods available or recognizing the signs of gonorrhea—will help you mount the best plan to take care of your health. Keep reading to learn more about what "the clap" is, including why it's called that and how you can prevent it.
What is gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea is a contagious bacterial infection that is usually contracted through the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The bacterium that causes gonorrhea (called Neisseria gonorrhoeae) thrives in warm, moist environments, so it typically infects mucous membranes in the urethra and parts of the reproductive tract, according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM). "In women, gonorrhea can spread beyond the cervix and infect the uterus and fallopian tubes, leading to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)," Renita F. White, MD, FACOG, a board-certified ob-gyn at Georgia Obstetrics & Gynecology who is affiliated with Northside Hospital in Atlanta, tells SELF. "This can potentially lead to infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain if left untreated."
People usually get gonorrhea from sexual contact with another person or sex toys, but pregnant individuals who have an active infection can pass the bacteria on to their baby during childbirth.
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How common is gonorrhea?
It's the second most commonly reported bacterial STI, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There are roughly 1.14 million new gonorrhea infections reported in the U.S. Every year, according to the CDC. About half of all infections affect people between 15 to 24 years old.
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Why do they call it "the clap"?
Good question. Gonorrhea is one of the oldest STIs known to humans, so it's hard to identify the first person who called it "the clap." However, there are a few unproven theories about the term's origin stories, Anna Powell, MD, MS, an assistant professor of gynecology and obstetrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, tells SELF. One popular theory identifies "the clap" as a derivative of les clapiers, a French translation of rabbit huts, or a reference to the small homes where prostitutes lived during the 1500s1. "The clap" may also reference a medieval method that involved clapping a heavy object on a person's penis to remove discharge caused by the infection. And finally, the phrase may have been used hundreds of years ago to describe the clapping sensation some people experienced when peeing2.
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What are the most common gonorrhea symptoms?
Identifying the STI on your own is tricky because gonorrhea symptoms can be subtle, or they can mimic other infections—if they're present at all. In fact, 50% of people with vaginas experience gonorrhea symptoms3. In comparison, roughly 10 to 15% of people with penises are asymptomatic4. Dr. Yamaguchi says gonorrhea symptoms can occur anywhere from a few days to a month after your initial infection, but they typically show up within a week.
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