Gonorrhea test

The doctor may order the test if a person has symptoms of gonorrhoea or has an increased risk of the infection. An infected woman may not show any symptoms or may mistake her symptoms for a bladder infection or another vaginal infection. However, some women experience symptoms within 10 days of infection. In men, symptoms usually appear within two to five days of infection or they may take up to 30 days to show up. 

The following symptoms are usually seen in women:

• Abnormal vaginal discharge
• Pain when urinating
• Pain during sex
• Abdominal pain
• Bleeding between periods and after sex

An untreated infection in women may cause pelvic inflammatory disease and may lead to the following complications:

• Long-term pelvic pain
• An increased risk of tubal pregnancy (pregnancy in the fallopian tubes)
• Infertility

Symptoms of gonorrhoea in men include:

• Pain, swelling or tenderness in the testicles
• White, yellow or greenish fluid leaking from the penis
• Pain when urinating

Untreated infection in men can cause the following complications:

• Inflammation of the prostate gland
• Scarring of the urethra, with narrowing or closing of the urethra
• Infertility

Rectal infection in men and women can cause pain, discharge or bleeding from the rectum.

A pregnant woman may be requested to get a gonorrhoea test done during early pregnancy to avoid passing the infection to her baby during delivery. Gonorrhoeal infection can cause blindness in newborn babies.

The test may be repeated a week or two after treatment to check if the infection has cleared.

You do not require special preparation for a gonorrhoea test. Inform your doctor if you are taking any prescribed, non-prescribed or illicit medicines, vitamins or supplements. Avoid urinating one to two hours before the test. Women should avoid using vaginal creams or douches within 24 hours of the test.

Your healthcare practitioner will take a urethral (for men) or vaginal (for women) swab for this test using the following procedure. 

For men:

• The healthcare practitioner will clean the urethral opening at the tip of your penis using sterile cotton.
• A cotton swab will be gently inserted about 2 cm into the urethra and turned to collect the discharge. 
• The sample will be labelled and sent to the laboratory for testing.

For women:

• You will be instructed to lie down on the examination table, with your knees bent. 
• After opening the vagina with a speculum (a metal or plastic instrument), your doctor will use a swab or a soft brush to collect a sample from the vagina or the cervix (entrance of the womb).
• The sample will be labelled and sent to the laboratory for testing.

You may feel a little discomfort during the test. There can be slight bleeding or vaginal discharge after the test.

A rectal or throat sample is also collected if an infection is suspected in these areas. Urine may also be collected for testing.

If a urine test is ordered, you may be given the following instructions to collect a sample:

• Wash your hands thoroughly and clean the genital area with cleaning wipes.
• Pass a small quantity of urine into the toilet and then hold the container under the stream of urine to collect a sample up to the mark indicated. 
• Move the container away and finish urinating into the toilet. 
• Label the sample container and submit it to the laboratory for testing.

Normal results:

A normal result is reported as negative and indicates that you do not have a gonorrhoeal infection.

Abnormal results:

An abnormal result is reported as positive and indicates that you have a gonorrhoeal infection. 

Generally, if a person tests positive, his/her sexual partner is requested to get tested and treated promptly.

Disclaimer: All results must be clinically correlated with the patient’s complaints to make a complete and accurate diagnosis. The above information is provided from a purely educational point of view and is in no way a substitute for medical advice by a qualified doctor.