Gonorrhea tests tell if a person has this disease. They look for the bacterium, or germ, that causes gonorrhea. Testing is done on body fluid or urine samples.
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection. That means it is spread through sexual contact. It does not always cause symptoms.
Tests used to find a gonorrhea infection include:
If a gonorrhea infection is suspected, don't have sex until the test results have come back. If the test shows that you have gonorrhea, don't have sex for at least 3 days after you finish treatment.footnote 1 Your sex partner or partners must also be treated for gonorrhea to avoid passing the infection back to you or to others.
If you have gonorrhea, all of your sex partners from the last 60 days should be tested and treated.footnote 1 And you may need to have tests for other sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
Tests for gonorrhea are done to:
Do not urinate for at least 2 hours before a urine sample is collected.
If you think you may have gonorrhea, don't have sex until you get your test results. And you may want to have tests for other STIs, such as HIV.
For this method of testing, a sample of body fluid is taken from the area where gonorrhea is suspected. This may include the cervix, vagina, rectum, throat, or eyes. Your doctor may use a swab to collect the sample. Or you may be given instructions on how to collect your own sample.
If you have a urine test, do not wipe the genital area clean before you urinate. Collect the first part of your urine stream, just as you begin to urinate.
The test will take a few minutes.
Collecting a sample of fluid from the vagina, rectum, throat, or eyes may cause mild discomfort or pain.
Collecting a sample from the cervix may cause mild discomfort. It may feel similar to a Pap test or pelvic examination.
Collecting a urine sample does not normally cause any discomfort.
There is very little risk of serious problems from having a sample of fluid collected from the cervix, the vagina, the rectum, the eyes, or the throat. There may be a small amount of bleeding from the vagina if a sample is collected from the cervix.
There are no risks linked with collecting a urine sample.
Normal:
No signs of gonorrhea bacteria are found. If a culture is done, no gonorrhea bacteria grow in the culture. More testing for other sexually transmitted infections may be needed to find the cause of any symptoms.
Abnormal:
Signs of gonorrhea bacteria are found. If a culture is done, gonorrhea bacteria grow in the culture.
Citations
- Public Health Agency of Canada (2006, updated 2010). Gonoccoccal infections. In Canadian Guidelines on Sexually Transmitted Infections. Available online: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/std-mts/sti-its/guide-lignesdir-eng.php.
Adapted By: HealthLink BC
Adaptation Reviewed By: HealthLink BC
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