You’re not alone if you’re unsure how gonorrhea spreads or what to look for after possible exposure. Sometimes called “the clap” or “the drip,” gonorrhea affects more than 1.5 million people each year in the U.S. The good news? It’s common, curable, and preventable. Knowing the facts helps you protect yourself and your partners.
What Is Gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by bacteria, with STD oral gonorrhea currently on the rise. Untreated gonorrhea can lead to serious complications that include pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women, epididymitis in men, infertility, and increased risk for HIV.
Gonorrhea’s main symptom is a clear or yellow-tinged bacterial discharge that drips from the vagina (women) or urethra (men). Other gonorrhea symptoms can include:
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Bleeding between periods
- Pain or burning when urinating
- Abdominal or pelvic pain
How Gonorrhea Spreads
People spread gonorrhea through sexual fluids, like vaginal fluid and semen. Can you get gonorrhea from anal sex? Yes, you can get gonorrhea from intercourse, anal sex, oral sex, or sharing sex toys with an infected person. It’s possible to transmit gonorrhea even if you don’t have symptoms. In some cases, gonorrhea can even survive on surfaces for short periods.
The Main Routes of Transmission
Unprotected sexual contact is the primary way gonorrhea is transmitted. This means vaginal, anal, and oral sex. It’s also possible to contract gonorrhea by sharing unwashed sex toys or towels with an infected person. Gonorrhea infection is carried in semen and vaginal fluids, too. It can affect the penis, vagina, cervix, anus, urethra, throat, or eyes.
Can You Get Gonorrhea From Oral Sex?
Oral sex is one of the rising causes of transmission, and there’s even a chance of gonorrhea from receiving oral. The majority of cases of non-genital gonorrhea are oropharynx (throat) and anorectum (anus and the rectum).
Oral Gonorrhea Is Real: Here’s What to Know
Oral gonorrhea is caused by oral sex with an infected person, with symptoms starting two to 30 days following infection. Symptoms include:
- Sore throat
- Redness and swelling in the throat
- White or yellow patches on the tonsils
- Fever
- Headache
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
What Are the Chances of Getting Gonorrhea from One Encounter?
You can contract gonorrhea any time you engage in unprotected sexual activity with an infected person.
Transmission Odds and Risk Factors
Gonorrhea is fairly easily transmitted with sexual activity, with transmission rates being 50% per act for penile-to-vaginal transmission, 20% for vaginal-to-penile transmission, 63% for oral sex, and 84% for anal sex.
Being a sexually active woman under age 25 or a man who has sex with men increases the chance of contracting gonorrhea. Other risk factors include:
- Having a new sex partner
- Having multiple sex partners
- Having a sex partner who has other partners
- Having a previous gonorrhea infection or other STI
Is There a Vaccine for Gonorrhea?
Right now, gonorrhea is treated with antibiotics. Some treatments involve injections, which is why people sometimes assume a vaccine already exists, but they’re not the same thing.
Not Yet — But Research Is Promising
Antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea strains make the development of an effective vaccine crucial. A promising new vaccine is being considered for approval in the United States. Places like the United Kingdom already have gonorrhea vaccine programs.
How to Prevent Gonorrhea
Worried about getting gonorrhea? There’s a lot you can do to prevent gonorrhea for yourself and others. Not engaging in sexual activity is the only way to fully prevent gonorrhea. However, you can protect your sexual health by considering your risks.
Simple Steps That Make a Difference
Reduce your risk of getting gonorrhea by:
- Using a condom or dental dam during every sexual encounter
- Limiting your number of sexual partners
- Getting yourself and your partner tested for STIs regularly
- Getting tested with a new partner before engaging in sexual activity
- Avoiding sex with someone who appears to have STI symptoms, like genital rash or sores
When to Get Tested and What to Expect
Consider annual STD testing if you’re sexually active. For those at high risk, consider testing every three to six months. It’s also smart to get tested together with a new sexual partner before engaging in sexual activity.
Gonorrhea testing is also recommended within two to six weeks of having unprotected sex of any kind. Also, take a test as soon as possible if you’re experiencing symptoms like discharge, a sore throat that doesn’t go away, or pain during urination.
Testing Is Quick, Private, and Treatable
Whether you’ve noticed symptoms, have been with a partner who has been diagnosed with gonorrhea, or simply have questions about keeping yourself safe, there’s no replacement for speaking with a medical professional. Testing is private and confidential with MISTR. We offer at-home test kits and gonorrhea medicine, and we send them straight to your door. At MISTR, we provide a safe and comforting space where you can get answers and care without judgment.
Through MISTR, you can also explore post-exposure options like DoxyPEP as part of your PrEP journey for added protection against certain bacterial STIs.
Please note: MISTR currently provides DoxyPEP with your PrEP prescription (pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV) and not as a standalone STI prevention treatment.
Talk to MISTR about easy and private gonorrhea treatments today!