Gonorrhea Care

> ⚠️ Ask your doctor or health care professional. This information is AI generated for education and NOT medical advice.

Gonorrhea is a common bacterial sexually transmitted infection. It's treatable with antibiotics, but untreated infection can lead to serious complications, including infertility.

Common symptoms

Painful urination, unusual discharge, and (in some people) pelvic or testicular pain. Many people, especially women, have no noticeable symptoms at all, which is part of why it can go undiagnosed and spread.

General self-care measures

• Complete the full prescribed course of antibiotics exactly as directed, even if symptoms improve quickly.
• Avoid sexual contact until treatment is complete and confirmed effective, to avoid re-infection or spreading it further.
• Notify sexual partners so they can be tested and treated — many health services offer confidential partner-notification support.
• Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections, since co-infection is common.

When to seek medical attention

• Any symptoms suggestive of an STI, or after a potential exposure — testing doesn't require waiting for symptoms.
• Pelvic pain, fever, or symptoms suggesting the infection has spread (can indicate pelvic inflammatory disease or another complication).
• Symptoms persisting after completing treatment.

Common pitfalls

• Assuming no symptoms means no infection — gonorrhea is often asymptomatic, particularly in women; regular testing based on risk, not symptoms alone, is the more reliable approach.
• Stopping antibiotics early once symptoms improve — incomplete treatment risks treatment failure and contributes to antibiotic resistance.
• Not notifying partners — untreated partners can re-infect the person after treatment and continue spreading the infection.

Learn more

• Gynecology Assessment, Urology Assessment for related reproductive/urological assessments.
• Syphilis Care for a related sexually transmitted infection.
• Health Care for general navigation of health systems.