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Current evidence suggests oral sex is the main route for throat (oral) gonorrhoea. A few studies have raised the possibility of transmission via deep (‘tongue’) kissing, but major guidelines still consider this unproven/uncertain. You cannot catch gonorrhoea from casual activities such as hugging or sharing cups.
Gonorrhoea is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by a bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae). Anyone who is sexually active can get gonorrhoea and pass it to partners. You can also transmit the infection to your baby during the time of delivery.
Often gonorrhoea may not have symptoms or may be asymptomatic, and you do not even know you have the infection. This causes you to accidentally infecting your partner(s). If you are sexually active, getting tested can help. Besides, using dental dams or condoms during sex can minimise your risk of infection.
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Gonorrhoea can also infect these areas of the body:
You develop an infection when the bacteria causing gonorrhoea (N. gonorrhoeae) gets introduced into your body through sexual fluids, such as semen or vaginal fluid – most often by having unprotected sex. The bacteria can be introduced into the body through a vagina, penis, anus or mouth. Neither you nor your partner has to ejaculate to transmit the bacteria. Gonorrhoea can be transmitted even by sharing sex toys that have not been cleaned or covered with a new condom while using.
You are able to contract gonorrhoea when you have sex with someone who has the infection, regardless of your gender. Any vaginal penetration, anal penetration, oral sex or sharing sex toys that have not been sanitised or protected with a condom can all expose you to this infection. Even genital-to-genital skin contact without penetration can expose you to infection.
For women, the cervix is the primary site of infection. For men, the infection usually begins in the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine out of the body. It is even possible to transmit if infected fluid comes into contact with the eye, such as when you have the infected fluid on your hand and accidentally touch your eye. There is also a possibility of transmission during childbirth from a mother to a baby.
Gonorrhoea is an infection that can be transmitted easily through sexual intercourse. However, not all intimate activities or exchange of body fluids carry the risk of gonorrhoea. You cannot get gonorrhoea from:
Evidence that gonorrhoea spreads via deep (‘tongue’) kissing is limited and not definitive. The established way to acquire throat gonorrhoea is through oral sex with an infected partner.
Around 50% of women do not exhibit any symptoms with gonorrhoea, which can make the disease easier to pass to sexual partners unknowingly. If you are sexually active or believe that you have had sex with someone infected with gonorrhoea, then you should be tested for this infection.
When symptoms appear, they include:
Generally, men are more likely to have symptoms. However, you may not notice signs of infection until weeks after the exposure, making it possible to unknowingly infect your partner(s).
Symptoms could include:
Anyone can contract a gonorrhoea infection in the throat (through oral sex) or rectum (through anal sex). While these sexually transmitted infections are not as common as gonorrhoea of the genitals, they can still occur.
Symptoms include:
You may not experience symptoms of gonorrhoea up to several weeks after the infection entered your body, as your immune system may take some time to identify and label it as an infection. However, on average, most people have symptoms after 2 weeks (14 days).
This is not something that can be generalised. Anyone who has oral or penetrative sex without a condom, or other form of barrier protection, can get gonorrhoea. The type of gonorrhoea you obtain depends on the type of sex you are having.
For instance, you are more likely to get oral gonorrhoea from having oral sex which includes going down on someone’s penis, vagina or anus.
You are more likely to acquire gonorrhoea in the genital tract if you have vaginal sex. It can be present in any area of the genital tract, but it tends to be found in the cervix, vagina and urethra.
If you are the receiving partner in anal sex, you are at risk for gonorrhoea in the rectum. If you have genital gonorrhoea, there can also be a risk for spread to the rectum.
You can let yourself be exposed to a variety of STIs by having unprotected oral sex, including gonorrhoea. Therefore, if your partner has not tested negative for STDs in an appropriate time frame, you should use a condom for oral sex.
If your partner has throat gonorrhoea and performs oral sex on you, you can acquire genital gonorrhoea.
If you perform oral sex on a partner with genital gonorrhoea, you can acquire throat gonorrhoea. Throat gonorrhoea can also be asymptomatic.
If you think you possibly obtained throat gonorrhoea, it is advisable to get tested for throat gonorrhoea and see at your local GUM clinic or you can check online for a swab test kit.
You can contract gonorrhoea during anal intercourse and the bacteria may lead to an infection in your anus. As it is with any other STI, if you had unprotected sexual contact it is crucial that you get tested for STIs. You can either go to your local clinic or you can order a rectal swab test online.
You cannot contract gonorrhoea or any sexually transmitted disease from a toilet seat. The bacteria causing gonorrhoea do not live outside of the human body and sitting on a toilet, even one used by someone with gonorrhoea, will not cause you to become infected. You also cannot get gonorrhoea from swimming pools or hot tubs.
You are at more risk for gonorrhoea if you:
Sexually transmitted disease gonorrhoea can lead to serious complications if not treated and can spread throughout your body, causing pain and swelling in your joints, inflammation of the liver, and damage to the brain and heart valves. Some other complications can be dependent on the reproductive anatomy.
In females, untreated gonorrhoea may:
In males, untreated gonorrhoea may cause:
If you have gonorrhoea, only a healthcare provider will be able to confirm you the diagnosis. In the visit, the provider will first ask questions regarding your symptoms and sexual history. Then the provider will collect a sample of your bodily fluid or urine to assess whether it is positive for the bacteria that causes gonorrhoea.
Your provider may:
Your provider will discuss the best gonorrhoea test for your condition and what kind of fluid sample it needs. Your provider may also test for chlamydia, which commonly occurs alongside gonorrhoea.
You will be treated for gonorrhoea with antibiotics. If you have partner(s), they will also need treatment. First-line treatment is a single, clinician-administered intramuscular injection (e.g., ceftriaxone) after a GP/sexual-health consultation and a positive test. Oral alternatives are reserved for specific situations based on clinical advice.
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Symptoms usually improve within a few days; avoid sex for 7 days after treatment (and until symptoms resolve). A test of cure is recommended for throat infections at 7–14 days, and may be advised in other cases based on clinical judgement.
Yes. With proper care, gonorrhoea can be cured. Take all of the medication your healthcare provider prescribed as directed, even if you feel your symptoms are clearing up and you start to feel better. It is strictly discouraged to take someone else’s medication to treat your own illness.
Currently, gonorrhoea can be treated, but antibiotic resistance is increasing. The well-known term for some strains of gonorrhoea with high levels of antibiotic resistance is ‘super gonorrhoea’.
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Consult your pregnancy care provider. You can pass on the infection to your baby during delivery, which can complicate the baby’s health. Babies born to individuals with untreated gonorrhoea are at risk of a severe eye infection (ophthalmia neonatorum), which can threaten vision. Your provider will assist you with the appropriate testing and treatment to keep you and your baby healthy.
Abstinence is the only way to eliminate the risk of gonorrhoea. To lower your risk, do the following:
Treatment for gonorrhoea is successful in most instances. The risk of re-infection only occurs if one is exposed to another infected person; it does not come back unless you are infected. For this reason, it is very important for your partner to get the STI testing if there is any doubt or suspicion that they might be infected. This is to make sure that you do not pass the infection back and forth. Gonorrhoea can recur on multiple occasions as you will not become immune to the bacteria, and it is completely normal to have gonorrhoea again even if you have been treated for it in the past.
Gonorrhoea is almost always transmitted during sex and it is extremely unlikely that you can catch gonorrhoea without sex. However, it is possible to contract gonorrhoea without penetration if your genitals touched the genitals of anyone with gonorrhoea.
You may also be able to develop gonorrhoea if you share sex toys that are not cleaned properly or not covered with a new condom.
Gonorrhoea can be passed to a baby during birth if the mother is infected. If you plan to become pregnant or you are pregnant, you need to be checked for gonorrhoea to prevent the infection.
If you use a condom every time you have sex, it is very unlikely that you would get gonorrhoea. Gonorrhoea is spread through your sexual fluids, where condoms offer an effective barrier. However, you may be exposed to an STI if a condom breaks.
It is recommended that all sexually active women under 25 years be tested for gonorrhoea on an annual basis. You may need to be tested each year, irrespective of sex, if you have a high risk for gonorrhoea. Your age and sexual activity are the major factors that put you at risk. If you are in a long-term relationship with one sexual partner, you might not need to be tested once a year. Speak with your healthcare provider about how often you should be tested based on your individual risk for the infection.
Your healthcare provider will tell you when it is safe to have sex again. However, you should wait seven days after finishing the course of your medicine before having sex. You and your sex partner(s) should not have sex until you both finish treatment and your symptoms are completely gone. This will help prevent both you and your partner(s) from transmitting or contracting gonorrhoea again. People who have gonorrhoea should be retested about three months after the treatment of their first infection, even if their sexual partners were treated successfully.
In most cases, gonorrhoea occurs without any symptoms, particularly in women. This is why it is possible to have gonorrhoea for weeks or even months without knowing it.
It is possible that you may have gonorrhoea, but your partner does not. There are some explanations for why. Your partner may carry the infection unknowingly, as the infection may not cause symptoms at most times. Your partner may also have a re-infection, which happens when a previous gonorrhoea infection was not totally cured and eventually came back.
Gonorrhoea is among the most common sexually transmitted infections, but that does not at all mean it has to be unavoidable. The best way to avoid infection is to test for gonorrhoea and to use dental dams or condoms during any sexual activity. Safer sex is particularly important with gonorrhoea, as it often does not produce symptoms.
If you think you may have been exposed to the infection, don’t let your embarrassment or hesitation stop you from contacting your healthcare provider for a visit. You should be tested as soon as possible. Gonorrhoea can be hazardous to your health if untreated, but you do not have to encounter these complications, since gonorrhoea is easily cured with just a few doses of antibiotics.
For further information or to get treatment for gonorrhoea, contact our STI Clinic today.
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