About Our Gonorrhea Test
Purpose of the test
The purpose of gonorrhea testing is to detect an infection caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae. A gonorrhea test is performed in two different situations:
- Screening: Screening tests look for diseases when you aren’t experiencing symptoms to detect the disease earlier. When doctors screen for gonorrhea, they may also screen for other STDs at the same time.
- Diagnosis: Not everyone will develop symptoms, but you may experience signs such as pain and burning during urination, a discharge, testicular pain, or soreness, itching, or bleeding in the genital area. Gonorrhea testing can diagnose or rule out gonorrhea as the cause of your symptoms. Because gonorrhea has similar symptoms to chlamydia, another common STD, doctors often test for both gonorrhea and chlamydia at the same time, and may even test for syphilis, Chlamydia, HIV, and/or Hepatitis B.
What does our gonorrhea test measure?
There are several types of gonorrhea tests:
- Gonorrhea nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT): This detects the genetic material (DNA) of the gonorrhea bacterium and is considered the preferred test for diagnosing gonorrhea. NAAT can be performed on a urine sample or on a swab from a potential infection site, such as the vagina, cervix, urethra, rectum, or throat.
- Gram stain: A sample is examined under a microscope to look for bacteria that have a characteristic appearance associated with gonorrhea. A Gram stain may help diagnose gonorrhea in men who have symptoms of urethral infection, but it is not recommended for samples from the cervix, rectum, or throat because it’s less accurate.
- Gonococcal culture: These cultures attempt to grow the gonorrhea bacteria from swabs taken from sites of potential infection and then exposed to a Petri dish containing a gelatin-like material (agar) that will allow the bacteria to grow Tiny discs of a specific antibiotic is impregnated into the agar that will show which antibiotic will work the best in inhibiting bacterial growth, thus the most effective antibiotic in treating the disease. Cultures are the only tests that detect the infection’s susceptibility to antibiotics. Doctors may order a gonococcal culture if they suspect you have an antibiotic-resistant strain of gonorrhea.
- Rapid gonorrhea tests: Some point-of-care tests can provide faster results in certain clinical settings, though many are still processed in a laboratory.
When should I get a gonorrhea test?
Because many people who are infected with gonorrhea do not have any noticeable symptoms, a number of health organizations recommend regular gonorrhea screening for certain people based on age, anatomy, pregnancy status, sexual behaviors, and other risk factors.
- Women and anyone with a vagina under 25: All sexually active women younger than age 25 should get yearly screening for gonorrhea.
- Women and anyone with a vagina 25 and older: Women with risk factors for gonorrhea infection who are 25 and older should be screened yearly.
- Pregnant people: Because gonorrhea can be passed to a baby during childbirth, pregnant women under 25 should be tested, and those 25 and older should be screened if at increased risk. Those under 25 or at risk may be retested during the third trimester, and anyone diagnosed with gonorrhea should be retested within three months.
- Men and anyone with a penis: Get screened at least once a year, including at exposed sites such as the urethra, rectum, and throat, based on reported sexual behaviors. Screening every three to six months may be recommended if you have an ongoing risk.
- People diagnosed with HIV: If you are diagnosed with HIV, it is important to be screened for gonorrhea at least once per year.
Regular screening for gonorrhea in heterosexual men without symptoms is not generally recommended.
Risk factors that impact the frequency of gonorrhea screening include:
- a new sex partner
- a sex partner who has sex with others
- multiple sex partners
- a prior STD diagnosis or a sex partner recently treated for an STD
- HIV status
- inconsistent condom use
- pregnancy
Anyone with signs or symptoms of gonorrhea should be tested for this infection. Gonorrhea testing should also be ordered when a sex partner has been diagnosed with the disease. When present, signs and symptoms of gonorrhea include:
- Painful urination
- White, yellow, or green urethral discharge
- Pain in the testicles or scrotum
- Increased yellowish/green vaginal discharge
- Vaginal bleeding between periods
- Anal discharge or itching
- Anal soreness or bleeding
- Painful bowel movements
- Sore throat
Once you have been treated for gonorrhea, it’s recommended to test for gonorrhea again three months after completing antibiotics. Untreated gonorrhea can result in serious problems like pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), long-term pelvic pain, scrotal pain, infertility, and infection of skin, joints, or other organs.
Finding a Gonorrhea Test
How to get tested
Testing for gonorrhea is typically ordered by a doctor. To determine the most appropriate testing strategy, a doctor will ask about any signs or symptoms of gonorrhea and individual risk factors such as your sexual and health history.
Gonorrhea testing is often performed at hospitals and doctors’ offices, as well as clinics and community health programs.
Can I take the test at home?
Samples for gonorrhea NAAT testing can be collected at home, while other gonorrhea tests must be performed by a health care professional. At-home gonorrhea testing often involves collecting a urine sample or, in some cases, a self-collected swab and mailing it to a certified lab.
If an at-home test comes back positive or if you have symptoms of gonorrhea, it’s important to talk with a doctor.
How much does the test cost?
The cost of gonorrhea testing depends on several factors, including your insurance coverage, the type of gonorrhea test, and where the test is performed. If a doctor orders the gonorrhea test, insurance typically covers most of the cost, except for copays and deductibles. It’s important to check with your health care provider for more information about specific costs.
Taking a Gonorrhea Test
Gonorrhea testing is performed on either a urine sample or a swab taken from the site of potential infection, such as the genitals, rectum, or throat. Urine samples are commonly used for genital testing in men. For women, a vaginal swab is often the preferred sample type and may be collected either by the patient or a health care professional.
Before the test
Tell your doctor if you’re taking any antibiotics before doing a gonorrhea test, since some medications may affect test results.
If you’re providing a urine sample, you may be asked to avoid urinating for about one to two hours beforehand so the urine contains enough bacteria for accurate testing.
If a swab sample is being collected from the vagina or cervix, you may be asked to avoid vaginal creams, douches, or other products for about 24 hours before testing, as these products can interfere with results.
Before an at-home gonorrhea test, read all of the instructions contained in the testing kit.
During the test
The testing process depends on the type of sample being collected:
- Urine sample: You will collect the first part of your urine stream (sometimes called a “first-catch” urine sample) in a sterile container provided by the clinic or laboratory.
- Swab sample: A swab may be used to collect fluid and cells from a potential infection site, such as the vagina, cervix, urethra, rectum, or throat. In some cases, patients may be instructed on how to collect certain swab samples themselves. Swab collection may cause brief discomfort, but the procedure usually only takes a few minutes.
After the test
There are generally no risks or restrictions after a gonorrhea test. If a swab sample was collected from the cervix or urethra, you may experience mild and temporary discomfort or slight spotting.
For at-home tests, the collected sample is packaged according to the kit instructions and mailed to a certified laboratory for analysis.